Abortion, even when performed by a healthcare professional, comes with risks. When you’re unexpectedly pregnant and seeking an abortion online, the risks become even greater.
Keep reading to get informed about the hazards of an online abortion.
What Is The Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill, also known as a medical abortion, is the process of using drugs to terminate and expel a pregnancy. The abortion pill actually consists of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol.
Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, and about 24-48 hours later, misoprostol is taken to cause contractions and expel the pregnancy and its related tissue out of the uterus.
Skipping Health Screenings
Ordering the abortion pill online skips important health screenings you would want to have before starting a medical abortion.
For instance, there are a variety of conditions and cases in which you would not be eligible for the abortion pill in the first place. These include if you:
- Are too far along in your pregnancy. You shouldn’t attempt a medical abortion if you’ve been pregnant for more than ten weeks (after the start of your last period).
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place.
- Have a suspected pregnancy outside of the uterus. This is called an ectopic pregnancy.
- Have certain medical conditions. These include bleeding disorders; certain heart or blood vessel diseases; severe liver, kidney, or lung disease; or an uncontrolled seizure disorder.
- Take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines.
- Can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or don’t have access to emergency care.
- Have an allergy to the medicine used.
It’s also critical to have an ultrasound. An ultrasound gives you essential details about your pregnancy, such as the gestational age (how far along you are). You’ll need to know this since the FDA only approves the abortion pill through 10 weeks gestation.
Ultrasounds also reveal the location and viability of your pregnancy. This is critical to rule out conditions such as an ectopic pregnancy or a potential miscarriage, which would require different medical interventions than the abortion pill.
Receiving Questionable Drugs
Many pills for abortion bought online come from places without strict rules or from other countries. Without the FDA’s oversight and a doctor’s prescription, you can’t be sure if the pills are of good quality, the proper dosage, or even the correct drugs.
Also, you will not have medical supervision. If the abortion pill process begins at a doctor’s office or clinic, women can ask questions before the procedure and have a phone number to call if issues arise.
If you take it at home and do not have access to follow-up appointments with a provider, you may need to visit an emergency room if something goes wrong.
Safeguard Your Health
Before you consider buying the abortion pill online, visit Women’s Resource Center for support in safeguarding your health.
We offer a no-cost ultrasound to get the details you need about your pregnancy. From there, our compassionate and knowledgeable team can give you all the facts you need to know about abortion from the get-go.