Medication abortion has been safe and legal in the U.S. since the FDA approved its use exactly 13 years ago. It has helped ensure that women are able to make their own private medical decisions, and it has expanded access to reproductive health care — giving a woman the option of a more private method of ending a pregnancy, in a setting in which she feels most comfortable.
Medication abortion is safe.
- Women in the United States have been safely and legally using medication abortion for over a decade.
- In fact, one in four women who have an early abortion decides on this method.
- If a woman follows the instructions provided, there are no risks to her future fertility.
- Studies have shown that medication abortion is just as safe and effective as other abortion procedures.
Medication abortion protects women’s privacy.
- Medication abortion gives a woman the option of a more private method of ending a pregnancy, in a setting in which she feels most comfortable.
- With a medical professional, she decides when and where the abortion happens, and who should be with her while it is happening.
- She has access to medical professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if she has any questions or concerns.
Women receiving medication abortion receive support and information.
- Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading women’s health provider, began offering medication abortion shortly after the FDA approved it. Today, more than one-third of women who choose to end a pregnancy at Planned Parenthood use medication abortion.
- A woman who is thinking about ending her pregnancy is given accurate and unbiased information about her options.
- If she decides to move forward with a medication abortion, she is supported throughout the process by a medical professional.
- Prior to receiving any medication, she completes a medical history, is given a blood test and an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. She is told how the process works, the range of normal symptoms to expect, and the warning signs to look out for.
- If she has any questions during the process she can reach a medical professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One to two weeks later, she returns to the health center for a follow-up evaluation.
For more information about medication abortion, click here or call us at 1-800-230-PLAN.
