What To Know About The Abortion Pill

The abortion pill can seem like an easy answer to a complicated problem. But is it really as easy as it seems?

What Is The Abortion Pill?

Let’s start by looking at what the abortion pill actually is. The term is commonly used for a medication abortion, also known as a chemical abortion. Another name for it is a DIY abortion. This involves taking two separate medications to complete the abortion process. The first one is called “mifepristone” also known as “RU-486,” and the second one is called “misoprostol.” The first drug is taken either at home or at a facility that provides abortions, and the second drug is usually taken at home within one or two days of the first. Together, these two drugs stop the embryo from growing and cause it to be expelled.

How Does The Pill Work?

As we saw previously, the pill works in two stages using two different medications. Mifepristone, the first medication taken, works by blocking your body’s production of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is essential for the development of the baby throughout pregnancy. Without progesterone, the growing embryo will not be able to implant properly or grow. Misoprostol is then given to cause uterine contractions, much like would occur during labor. These contractions result in blood clots, fetal tissues, and/or the formed embryo to pass from your body. As the uterus continues to heal after this process, it is normal to experience some bleeding for a few weeks.

FDA Approval

Currently, the FDA approves the use of mifepristone and misoprostol to end a pregnancy within certain parameters. These medications are only approved for terminating intrauterine pregnancies, i.e. not for ectopic pregnancies, and only within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy which is the first 70 days since the last menstrual period.¹ It is critical to determine the gestational age of the embryo and its location to ensure you are following the FDA guidelines. Getting an ultrasound is a great way to do this. Furthermore, the FDA only recommends obtaining these drugs through their risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) system. This system is designed to protect your health. In order to do that, it requires a certified prescriber, usually a health care professional, to prescribe these medications. This can be done in person, through a pharmacy, or through the mail.

Are There Risks to the Abortion Pill?

Now that you know what the abortion pill is and how it works, what are the potential risks of using it? The manufacturer’s insert for Mifeprex, which is the FDA approved brand of mifepristone, warns of several known risks. They report that 85% of women experienced adverse reactions. These include nausea & vomiting, weakness, fever & chills, headache, diarrhea, and dizziness.

More severe complications reported were sustained fever, severe abdominal pain, and prolonged heavy bleeding. As many as 1 in 25 women needed to go to the emergency room after taking Mifeprex, and about 1 in 200 women needed hospitalization for their symptoms. They also give a warning at the beginning of the insert that fatal infections and bleeding have occurred following both medical and surgical abortions, including involving the use of Mifeprex.²

Using a different brand of mifepristone not approved by the FDA may have additional, unknown risks.

Schedule an Ultrasound Appointment

If you are considering the abortion pill and would like to receive a free ultrasound to help empower you to make the best decision, contact us to make an appointment! We want you to have all the information you need to make a healthy choice.

If you have taken the abortion pill and are experiencing severe symptoms, please call your doctor or go to the emergency room so that you can be treated promptly.

If you have taken the first dose of the abortion pill but regret your decision, please contact Bella Health in Denver for a chance to try the abortion pill reversal.

Sanctity of Life Center does not provide, recommend, or refer for the abortion pill or any other type of abortion.

1. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, January 17). Information about Mifepristone for Medical Termination of Pregnancy Through Ten Weeks Gestation. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation ↩︎
2. Mifeprex [package insert]. New York, NY: Danco Laboratories, LLC; 2016. ↩︎