Abortion Pill Side Effects: Is It Really Safer than Tylenol?

Planned Parenthood makes the claim on their website that “abortion pills are safer than medicines like penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra.”¹ But is that really true? Let’s look at what the manufacturers of both Tylenol and Mifeprex (the FDA approved brand of part one of the abortion pill) say about adverse reactions and side effects they found in their studies.

Tylenol Side Effects

We’ve all used Tylenol before, right? And most of us probably haven’t had any side effects from it. But let’s check out what warnings the manufacturer gives about taking this medicine.

First off are the side effects that may occur if you take Tylenol as prescribed. According to the full prescribing information² and drug facts³, the only known adverse reactions are allergic reactions including:

• Anaphylaxis
• Hypersensitivity
• Skin reactions such as blisters, rash, hives, and reddening

Tylenol only produced each of these reactions in less than 1 in 10,000 people. While hypersensitivity and skin reactions are not life threatening, anaphylaxis certainly can be if not treated quickly enough. Reactions can also happen if you take Tylenol with alcohol, other drugs containing acetaminophen, and certain blood thinners. You should always contact your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur.

Now let’s check out how serious adverse reactions can be when Tylenol is not used as prescribed. Overdosing Tylenol causes liver damage, which can range from mild to fatal. This can be extremely dangerous! Contacting poison control immediately is crucial in the case of an overdose because receiving timely medical assistance is critical for both your health and life.

Overall, as long as you use Tylenol within the limits given by the manufacturer, its risks are minimal and mild.

The Abortion Pill Side Effects

We want to make a fair comparison, so let’s start again with the side effects when Mifeprex is used according to the prescription.⁴ Let’s look at the adverse reactions and their frequency.

Over a third of women experienced the following symptoms after taking Mifeprex and Misoprostol (the second drug used in the abortion pill procedure):

• Nausea
• Weakness
• Fever/Chills
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Dizziness

Some women also experienced severe adverse reactions, such as sepsis, sustained fever, severe abdominal pain, and prolonged heavy bleeding. Of the women studied, around 1 in 30 women went to the emergency room, more than 1 in 300 needed a blood transfusion, and 1 in 4000 women required hospitalization. There is also a warning that serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur following all types of abortions, including the abortion pill.

After taking the abortion pill, the manufacturer recommends seeing your health professional for a follow up appointment to make sure that the abortion is complete and that there is not excessive bleeding.

So what happens if you take the abortion pill outside of its prescription? Studies do not indicate any serious adverse reactions after an overdose. After a massive overdose, you could suffer from adrenal failure which requires medical monitoring. If you take Mifeprex and you are past 70 weeks pregnant, there is a higher risk of having an incomplete abortion and there may be birth defects if the pregnancy continues. Mifeprex also cannot end an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside of the uterus). That requires a different medical procedure to safely remove.

Additionally, Mifeprex is only one manufacturer of the abortion pill, and is the only FDA approved manufacturer. Using the abortion pill from a different brand may carry additional risks due to lack of regulations and testing.

Overall, when using Mifeprex as intended by its manufacturer, there may be risk for some uncomfortable side effects as well as needing urgent and/or emergent medical attention.

So Which One is Safer?

We looked at all of the adverse reactions and side effects of both Tylenol and the abortion pill, and what happens if you take these medications outside of prescription. The facts speak for themselves. While Tylenol can be extremely dangerous if overdosed, taking it as prescribed comes with very little risk. The abortion pill, on the other hand, while there is very little danger in overdosing, has some uncomfortable side effects that affect a large portion of the women who take it, as well as a potential for life-threatening side effects even when taken correctly.

Make an Informed Decision

You should always be informed about medications that you take – both the benefits and risks of taking them. Be sure to talk to your health professional about any concerns that you have. Remember, an informed decision is an empowered decision!

Interested in learning more regarding your unplanned pregnancy? Check out our blog about ultrasounds to see why it’s a good idea to get one before you make a final decision about your pregnancy. You can also contact us to schedule a no cost pregnancy test with follow up ultrasound if you want to be informed about your pregnancy before deciding.

1. “What facts about abortion do I need to know?” Planned Parenthood. 5/8/25. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/considering-abortion/what-facts-about-abortion-do-i-need-know ↩︎
2. Tylenol [Full Prescribing Information]. Markham, Ontario. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson; 2021. https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00062135.PDF ↩︎
3. Tylenol [Drug Facts]. Kevenue Brands LLC; 2024. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1622f694-4d63-4c56-8737-fae31f0ecfb7 ↩︎
4. Mifeprex [Package Insert]. New York, NY. Danco Laboratories, LLC; 2016. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/020687s020lbl.pdf ↩︎