The safety of an online or at-home abortion depends on a number of factors and varies for every woman.
The supplier of the medical abortion drugs, necessary precautions, and access to emergency care will also play a role in how safe the procedure is for each woman.
Safety Consideration #1: The Abortion Drug Provider
The laws in the state or country you live in will determine your accessibility to legal abortion drugs. In Michigan, women do have access to obtain abortion pills via telehealth through local, regulated providers.
However, ordering abortion pills online without any Telehealth visits or through unregulated pharmacies is not as safe as seeing a provider in person to receive critical care that can only be completed in person, such as an ultrasound to confirm the gestational age of your pregnancy.
The FDA lists this warning on their website. “You should not buy Mifeprex or its approved generic over the Internet because you will bypass important safeguards designed to protect your health.”
Not only does it bypass safeguards, but you also won’t be able to verify you received the correct drugs in the proper dosages. Ensuring you are following legal and regulated procedures will better protect your health.
Safety Consideration #2: Necessary Precautions
To guard your reproductive health, you should receive an ultrasound scan and STD testing/treatment prior to taking abortion pills.
An ultrasound will verify your pregnancy is progressing and not ectopic. It will also tell you how far along you are. Since the FDA has only approved abortion pills through the first ten weeks of pregnancy, it’s important to verify you’re in the right timeframe before beginning the abortion process at home.
STD testing and treatment will prevent existing STDs from spreading further and causing permanent damage.
Another necessary safety precaution is to speak to a professional about your health background and if the abortion pill could impact any pre-existing conditions. You will also want to understand all the associated medical risks.
Safety Consideration #3: Access to Emergency Care
With an online or at-home abortion, the procedure is completed at home. While this seems private and convenient, it does come with added risks.
Mayo Clinic says medical abortion isn’t an option if you can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or you don’t have access to emergency care.
If anything does go wrong, you must be able to consult with a health care provider or visit an emergency room. Infections can be very serious and require fast treatment.
Some signs you may need emergency care include heavy bleeding (soaking two or more pads an hour for two hours), severe abdominal or back pain, a fever lasting more than 24 hours, and/or foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
Take Care of Yourself
Protecting your health means gathering and reviewing your health information and making a decision with facts in mind. We can help with this!
Schedule a no-cost appointment for pregnancy testing and an ultrasound. We’ll verify your pregnancy and provide critical health details. We can also discuss available local resources and answer any questions you have.
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