01 Oct Is an Online or At-Home Abortion Safe
Abby had no idea what she was going to do when she found out she was pregnant. She knew she didn’t have the financial stability to pay for labor and delivery, let alone raise a child. Her first thought was to get an abortion–until she discovered that a surgical abortion can also cost thousands of dollars. She felt stuck.
Abby decided she would take her abortion into her own hands at home. Surely that would be more cost-effective.
Maybe you are like Abby, feeling unable to finance a birth, prenatal care, or an abortion. You are considering ordering the abortion pill yourself from a cheap online source, and taking it by yourself at home.
Abortion in your sweats, in the privacy of your home might sound easier. But is it actually safe?
Here is everything you need to know.
How Does the Abortion Pill Work?
The abortion pill is actually a pill series that is taken over several days. The first pill works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is needed to bring blood and oxygen to the baby in your uterus. When the hormone is blocked, so are the nutrients needed for the baby.
This terminates the pregnancy. The second pill essentially propels your body into labor. The contents of your womb will be expelled over several hours or days.
What Are the Risks of the Abortion Pill?
No matter where you get your abortion pill, there are risks. It is not safe and easy for everyone. You could have excessive bleeding for days or even weeks. There is a risk that the pill might not actually terminate the pregnancy. You may experience extreme cramping, just as you would in labor. Other common symptoms are nausea and vomiting, or headaches.
You also may have an incomplete abortion, which occurs when your body does not expel all the parts of the baby. This may require surgical intervention to prevent an infection.
Is it Safe to Order the Pill Online?
Shopping online may be the popular thing to do these days, but that doesn’t mean you should order medicine that way.
In fact, the FDA strongly advises against doing that, since you do not know for sure if the pills you are ordering are actually the right quality. They may be expired, contain contaminants, or altogether fake.
“Mifeprex has special safety restrictions…drugs purchased from foreign Internet sources are not the FDA-approved versions of the drugs, and they are not subject to FDA-regulated manufacturing controls or FDA inspection of manufacturing facilities,” the FDA explains.
In addition, ordering the pill without the supervision of a healthcare provider puts you at more risk. Without professional approval, you don’t know for sure that your pregnancy is a good match for the pill. If you are farther along than you think in your pregnancy, or if you use certain types of birth control, or if you have allergies to medication, you may have complications.
It is always better to be safe by bringing a healthcare provider into your pregnancy.
Where Can You Find Financial Help For Your Pregnancy Care?
If you have an unplanned pregnancy and are struggling financially, you have help available to you. You do not have to make your decision based solely on finances.
Here are a few options you have at your fingertips:
- Get a no-cost ultrasound at our clinic. This will tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy, which will help you know if the abortion pill is even an option for you.
- Consider adoption. Often the costs associated with labor, birth and prenatal appointments are all covered when you choose adoption.
- Free Housing
- Housing/ Financial Counseling through the state CHIP program
- New Jersey Family Care program, which offers financial assistance for medical services
- Medicaid, which pays for more than half of all births nationwide
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides help with groceries
At our clinic we not only offer no-cost ultrasounds but also can help you with many of the material resources needed to care for a child, and refer you to other key resources in the community as well. We can answer any questions you have about pregnancy, adoption, parenting and abortion. Everything is no-cost and totally confidential.
Please call us today to schedule a consultation before you order any pills online and jeopardize your health.