To understand your abortion pill eligibility, you first need to confirm your pregnancy to find out how far along you are (gestational age). The FDA has only approved the abortion pill for women through the first ten weeks of pregnancy.
Additionally, you will want to know whether you have any existing health issues that would make the abortion pill unsafe for you. Keep reading to learn more.
How The Abortion Pill Works
The abortion pill, also known as medical abortion, is a series of two drugs.
Mifepristone, the first drug, blocks the hormone progesterone to terminate the pregnancy. Second, misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and empty the uterus of all pregnancy-related tissues through abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding.
Here are potential risks from the Mayo Clinic for the abortion pill:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
Am I Eligible for the Abortion Pill?
To determine if you are eligible for the abortion pill, first confirm your pregnancy with a lab-quality pregnancy test and an ultrasound. An ultrasound will confirm three essential details of pregnancy, including:
- How far along you are (gestational age)
- The location of your pregnancy (whether it’s located within your uterus or it’s ectopic)
- If your pregnancy is viable (has a heartbeat and is progressing)
All three pieces of information are important to understand before making your final decision about abortion. Resources for Women offers free and confidential lab-quality pregnancy tests and limited ultrasounds so you can get the clarity you need.
You May Not be Eligible
The Mayo Clinic shares that medical abortion isn’t an option if you:
- Are too far along in your pregnancy. (Beyond the FDA-approved 10-week timeframe)
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place. (It should be removed first.)
- Have a suspected ectopic pregnancy.
- Have medical conditions including 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.
Learn More Today
Be better informed about abortion today and begin pregnancy confirmation at Resources for Women. We provide education on the risks of an abortion procedure and clarity about eligibility.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
