Is an Online Abortion or At-Home Abortion Safe?
It seems easy enough, right? Take a few pills in the privacy of your home, and it is over. However, is this method safe?
There are limitations on who can use an at-home abortion. This method can be dangerous, and the FDA recommends not ordering the drugs online. Here’s why:
Why Shouldn’t I Order the Drugs Online?
An at-home or online abortion involves taking two drugs over a 24 to 48-hour period to terminate a pregnancy. This method is also known as a medical or chemical abortion or the abortion pill.
Mifepristone, the first drug taken in a medical abortion, is highly regulated by the FDA. Only certified healthcare providers can prescribe it.
The FDA does not recommend buying mifepristone online because many of those providers are from overseas. You miss essential safeguards like knowing if it’s the correct quality and dosage for the drug to be effective.
Is It Safe to Use At Home?
The Cleveland Clinic states a medical abortion isn’t a safe option if you have any of the following issues:
- Are too far along in your pregnancy. The FDA only approves the use of mifepristone through 10 weeks of pregnancy.
- Are allergic to the drugs used (mifepristone and misoprostol).
- Have a pregnancy outside of your uterus (an ectopic pregnancy). This type of pregnancy is extremely dangerous.
- Use long-term corticosteroids (steroids) for inflammation.
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD).
- Have a blood clotting disorder, significant anemia, or chronic adrenal failure.
- Don’t have access to emergency care.
What Should I Do First?
Before making a decision, you should first confirm your pregnancy. Did you know experts estimate as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage?
Most miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks, and you may or may not have symptoms. Because it takes a woman’s body time to return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels, it is possible to get a positive pregnancy test after a miscarriage.
Come to Options for Women to confirm your pregnancy. We’ll first provide a confidential, no-cost pregnancy test and schedule you for a no-cost ultrasound if the test is positive. You need an ultrasound to give you the following information:
- An ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy.
- An ultrasound can detect if your pregnancy is developing or if you have had a miscarriage.
- An ultrasound can locate your pregnancy to determine if it is ectopic.
Schedule your no-cost appointment and get the information you need to protect your health and safety. We have three convenient locations and a mobile unit. You can conveniently book an appointment online or call the nearest location.
You have options. Find out more today at a no-cost appointment with Options for Her.
Options for Her does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
Pregnancy Testing
If you suspect you may be pregnant, you should speak with a trusted medical provider or pregnancy clinic. By discussing the best time to test and confirming your results with a quality pregnancy test and ultrasound, you can be sure of the results and begin planning your next step.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to receive information that can be seen as an image on a screen. Determine what choices you have with an ultrasound. An ultrasound will alert you of any possible complications. It is an important step of the pregnancy confirmation process, as it confirms three different aspects of your pregnancy.
Mobile Unit
We offer pregnancy confirmation services at our Mobile Unit! Here is more about our pregnancy services, provided at no cost to you and completely confidential. If for some reason you can't come to us, we can come to you with our mobile unit.
Pregnancy Testing
If you suspect you may be pregnant, you should speak with a trusted medical provider or pregnancy clinic. By discussing the best time to test and confirming your results with a quality pregnancy test and ultrasound, you can be sure of the results and begin planning your next step.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to receive information that can be seen as an image on a screen. Determine what choices you have with an ultrasound. An ultrasound will alert you of any possible complications. It is an important step of the pregnancy confirmation process, as it confirms three different aspects of your pregnancy.
Mobile Unit
We offer pregnancy confirmation services at our Mobile Unit! Here is more about our pregnancy services, provided at no cost to you and completely confidential. If for some reason you can't come to us, we can come to you with our mobile unit.
