What Questions Should I Ask Before Taking the Abortion Pill?
Finding out you are pregnant can be shocking. It can be tempting to make a quick decision, especially if you’re feeling anxious.
Before making a decision, however, there are a few important questions to have answered: How far along are you? Where is the pregnancy located? What are the possible risks?
Getting these questions answered can help you better understand your pregnancy and make an informed decision about what to do next.
Life’s Choices Women’s Clinic provides no-cost, confidential pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and options counseling so you can get the information you need before making a decision.
Schedule your appointment at our medical clinic today. We also offer telehealth options.
How Far Along Am I?
One of the first questions to ask is how far along you are. The abortion pill is FDA-approved through ten weeks of gestation. Taking the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol after this timeframe could increase your risk of complications.
An ultrasound can help estimate your gestational age. Estimating how far along you are isn’t always accurate, especially if your periods are irregular or you are unsure when your last period began.
In Florida, abortion is also prohibited after six weeks of pregnancy. For this reason, it’s crucial to consider current state law during the decision-making process.
Where Is My Pregnancy Located?
Another important question is whether the pregnancy is developing inside your uterus.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a pregnancy develops outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube. An untreated ectopic pregnancy can become a medical emergency and cannot be treated with the abortion pill.
A positive pregnancy test cannot tell you where the pregnancy is developing. An ultrasound at our clinic can provide information about the location of the pregnancy, as well as whether the pregnancy is developing and has a heartbeat.
What Are the Risks of the Abortion Pill?
It is important to understand both the expected side effects and possible complications of the abortion pill.
The abortion pill causes significant abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding as the pregnancy is expelled from the uterus. Other possible side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness.
Serious risks include an incomplete abortion, infection, and heavy bleeding that will not stop.
Additionally, the FDA warns against ordering the abortion pill online because it can be difficult to verify the source, quality, and storage conditions of drugs purchased from an unverified source, and appropriate medical care may not be available.
Am I at Higher Risk for Complications?
Your medical history matters when considering the abortion pill. The following factors can affect whether or not you can take these drugs:
- You are too far along in your pregnancy.
- You have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place.
- You have certain medical conditions, such as anemia, some bleeding disorders, chronic adrenal failure, certain heart or blood vessel diseases, severe liver, kidney, or lung disease, or an uncontrolled seizure disorder.
- You take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines.
- You can’t reach a healthcare professional by phone or online, or you don’t have access to emergency care.
- You have an allergy to the drugs used in a medical abortion.
Before making a decision, discussing your personal medical history with your doctor is crucial to protecting your health.
Get the Facts at Life’s Choices Women’s Clinic
At Life’s Choices Women’s Clinic, we provide no-cost pregnancy services, and we can give you information about abortion, adoption, and parenting so you can better understand your choices.
Our team is here to listen, answer your questions, and provide a safe, pressure-free place to learn more about your pregnancy.
Contact us to make your confidential appointment.
Life Choice’s Women’s Clinic 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 Tests
If you have had unprotected sex or missed your period, you might wonder if you are pregnant. The first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test. We offer lab-quality pregnancy testing at no cost.
Ultrasounds
If you are pregnant, an ultrasound will help determine how far along you are, if the pregnancy is viable (growing), and if it’s located in the correct place. We offer limited obstetric ultrasounds at no cost.
STD Testing
When a person engages in sex or sex-like activity, there’s a chance of contracting an STD. Most people with an STD don’t have immediate symptoms. Regular testing helps prevent later physical risks. We offer no-cost and confidential STD testing to women and men.
Men MENtoring Men
Our fatherhood program, Men MENtoring Men, begins during the first medical appointment. Men MENtoring Men is the opportunity for you to meet with a male advocate to discuss your feelings about becoming a dad.
Pregnancy Tests
If you have had unprotected sex or missed your period, you might wonder if you are pregnant. The first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test. We offer lab-quality pregnancy testing at no cost.
Ultrasounds
If you are pregnant, an ultrasound will help determine how far along you are, if the pregnancy is viable (growing), and if it’s located in the correct place. We offer limited obstetric ultrasounds at no cost.
STD Testing
When a person engages in sex or sex-like activity, there’s a chance of contracting an STD. Most people with an STD don’t have immediate symptoms. Regular testing helps prevent later physical risks. We offer no-cost and confidential STD testing to women and men.
Men MENtoring Men
Our fatherhood program, Men MENtoring Men, begins during the first medical appointment. Men MENtoring Men is the opportunity for you to meet with a male advocate to discuss your feelings about becoming a dad.
