13 Jan What Are the Risks of Ordering The Abortion Pill Online?
Making a quick decision about your unplanned pregnancy might sound appealing. Ordering the abortion pill online might seem like the fast, easy way to get “back to normal,” especially if people are pressuring you to terminate.
But it is never a good idea to rush into any decisions about your health–especially if you haven’t considered the risks.
What Is the Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill is actually a series of two different pills that must be taken before 11 weeks’ gestation.
The first pill is called mifepristone (Mifeprex). It terminates the pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, which brings nutrients into the womb to nourish the pregnancy. Without progesterone, the pregnancy is starved until it ends.
The second pill, misoprostol, is taken a few days after mifepristone, and essentially starts contractions that will cause the body to expel the fetus and placenta.
The abortion pill is only approved for use up to 11 weeks of pregnancy, although some doctors will only prescribe it up to 9 weeks of pregnancy. It is important to confirm how many weeks pregnant you are before utilizing this method. Lighthouse offers a free medical confirmation and dating of pregnancy that is beneficial for anyone considering the abortion pill. Call us today to schedule one.
Are All Pills the Same?
In short, no. All abortion pills are not the same.
Pills that you order from a third party, without the supervision of a healthcare provider, may not be safe.
“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.
So, any pill that you order online might be fake, contaminated or expired.
What Are the Risks of Taking the Abortion Pill?
Regardless of where you get the abortion pill, there are risks to consider.
If you use an IUD for birth control, it is recommended that you avoid using the abortion pill because of increased risk for complications.
You also could have an adverse reaction to the medication if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
Other common risks according to the Mayo Clinic include:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
There are also emotional and mental health risks to any abortion experience. Many women and men have reported inner turmoil after an abortion, sometimes lasting decades after the procedure.
They discovered that their abortion didn’t “undo” the pregnancy. They could never go back to the way things were before it, even after it was over.
Can the Abortion Pill be Reversed?
If you have already ingested the abortion pill and are having second thoughts, it may not be too late to reverse the pill.
Around 68 percent of women who have tried to reverse the abortion pill have been successful, according to the Abortion Pill Reversal Network.
If you have taken the pill within the last 72 hours, you can call the Abortion Pill Reversal Network, and they will connect you to a local doctor who can give you progesterone to counteract the abortion pill.
Progesterone injections or supplements will send the necessary nutrients back into your womb, which will feed the pregnancy so it doesn’t starve any longer.
Where Can I Learn More About My Alternate Options?
At our clinic we have helped many women and men through their unplanned pregnancies. Though this may not have been a situation that you would have chosen for yourself, you can still choose what you do with it. You have more than one option. We would love to talk more and answer your questions!
We also offer a free ultrasound to medically confirm and date your pregnancy so that you have the information you need to make a confident choice.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation!