Medical Abortion

A medical abortion, also known as medication abortion, occurs when abortion pills are used to terminate a pregnancy. You can use the medical abortion pill mifepristone together with misoprostol, or misoprostol only. The pills can be taken either vaginally or sublingually. However, we recommend sublingual usage to avoid detection. The World Health Organization classifies medical abortion as a self-care intervention that does not necessarily need the supervision of a trained health provider. This means it can be self-managed in the comfort of your home. The HowToUseAbortionPill protocol is intended for pregnancies up to 13 weeks.

About Medical Abortion
How it Works Abortion Pills

How the Medical Abortion Pill Works

The medicine used in medical abortion pills works by relaxing and opening the cervix (opening to the uterus), and causing the uterus to contract, which pushes out the pregnancy.

With the medical abortion pill misoprostol, usually within 1 to 2 hours of the first set of pills being absorbed into your body, you will start cramping and bleeding. The abortion usually happens within 24 hours of taking the last pills of misoprostol. Often, it happens before that.

Concerned After Taking Abortion Pills?

Below are a few ways to recognize that you passed the pregnancy tissue after taking the abortion pills:

  • You might be able to identify the pregnancy tissue as small dark colored grapes and thin membranes.
  • The pregnancy tissue may also look like a small sac surrounded by a white, fluffy layer.

Depending on the age of the pregnancy, the tissues can be smaller than your fingernail, or up to the size of your thumb.

If you can identify these tissues, it is an indication that the abortion is successful. Often, pregnancy tissue may be wrapped in blood clots. You may not see it unless you look carefully. If you have diarrhea because of the abortion pills, it might be more difficult to identify the tissue. Don’t worry if this happens. It’s a normal side effect.

References:

HowToUseAbortionPill.org is Affiliated With A Registered U.S.-Based 501c(3) Non-Profit Organization.
HowToUseAbortionPill.org provides Content Intended For Informational Purposes Only And Is Not Affiliated With A Medical Organization.

Powered by Women First Digital