You don’t want to jeopardize your health with unregulated medications. An online abortion or at-home abortion is no exception.
When confronted with an unplanned pregnancy, many women feel their situation is desperate or even impossible. Seeking an online abortion, while it may sound convenient, can pose numerous risks to your health.
La Luz Women’s Center provides accurate, up-to-date information on abortion procedures. You deserve to make an educated pregnancy decision.
What Should I Know About an Online Abortion?
A medical abortion uses mifepristone and misoprostol to end a pregnancy. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, and misoprostol causes uterine contractions that expel the pregnancy tissue from the body.
This abortion procedure always causes abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, fever, and chills.
During an online abortion, you obtain abortion drugs from online sources, sometimes after a telehealth appointment with a provider. These drugs are shipped to your address and taken at home.
Some may feel this option is more accessible and less stressful. However, understanding possible complications is crucial.
Where Are the Drugs Coming From?
Many abortion drugs sent via online abortion are shipped from unregulated or overseas pharmacies. Without medical oversight, you won’t know if they are the correct dosage or medications.
Moreover, you may receive improper instructions on how to take these drugs. For example, mifepristone is usually administered at the doctor’s office or abortion clinic. Taking this drug at home means you won’t be monitored during this initial step.
Am I Eligible for This Abortion?
Not everyone is eligible for a medical abortion. It’s FDA-approved through ten weeks gestation, so taking these abortion drugs after this gestational age can result in serious side effects or risks.
You may also be ineligible for this abortion if you have the following:
- An IUD (intrauterine device) currently in place
- Have a suspected ectopic pregnancy
- Take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines
- Have certain medical conditions (i.e., severe liver, kidney, or lung disease)
- Have an allergy to the medications used
- Can’t make follow-up visits or access emergency care
Understanding the risks associated with medical abortion is essential. Speaking with a provider about possible risks, including heavy bleeding and infection, is both a smart and safe choice.
When you learn you’re pregnant, you should always have an obstetric ultrasound before making a decision. This scan determines your pregnancy’s viability, gestational age, and location. It can also determine whether you’ve had a miscarriage or are experiencing an ectopic pregnancy.
If you have an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the fertilized egg implants in a location outside the uterus, know this condition is very dangerous and requires emergency medical treatment.
We’re Here For You
La Luz Women’s Center provides confidential pregnancy services at no cost to you. We are devoted to your well-being.
Contact us today to make an appointment.
