Maybe you are thinking of taking the abortion pill, but you aren’t sure whether you are eligible. To protect your health and safety, confirming your pregnancy is essential in determining whether you are eligible for the abortion pill by knowing how far along you are.
How Does the Abortion Pill Work?
The abortion pill consists of two different drugs to terminate pregnancy, mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone first works to block the body’s progesterone that supports pregnancy. Next, misoprostol is taken and causes the uterus to contract and expel the embryo or fetus from the woman’s body through bleeding and cramping.
According to the Mayo Clinic, possible risks of medical abortion (the abortion pill) consist of the following:
- 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
Am I Eligible?
Also called medical abortion, the abortion pill is only FDA-approved for pregnancies under 10 weeks. Some reasons you may not be eligible for the abortion pill are that you:
- Have a pregnancy outside of the uterus (ectopic pregnancy)
- Have a blood clotting disorder or significant anemia
- Have a chronic adrenal failure
- Use long-term corticosteroids
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD)
- Have an allergy to the medications used
- Do not have access to emergency care
- Can’t return for a follow-up visit
Confirm Your Pregnancy
To understand if you are eligible, we recommend not only following up on your home pregnancy test with lab-quality pregnancy testing but also going a step further to get an ultrasound. Ultrasounds confirm vital pregnancy details and alert you to potential complications such as ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.
Alpha Women’s Center offers free and confidential pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and options counseling so you can make a confident decision for your future. Talk to us to begin with free pregnancy testing.