Safe, Online, Delivered: How to Get the Abortion Pill By Mail

No. The morning-after pill is a form of emergency contraception (aka birth control) taken within a few days of unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy. If you are already pregnant, emergency contraception will NOT induce an abortion.

FDA-approved abortion pills work by inducing a miscarriage. From your body’s perspective, a medication abortion and a spontaneously occurring miscarriage are the same physical process (though the emotional experiences may be very different.) The physical process, risks, warning signs, potential complications, and treatments are the same. Further, there is no test to determine if you have taken abortion pills. If you aren’t comfortable telling a medical provider that you’ve had a medication abortion instead of a spontaneous miscarriage, it is not necessary to do so. Your body won’t give you away.

The most effective way to induce an abortion with FDA-approved abortion pills (99% effective) is:

• Step 1: swallow a 200 mg tablet of mifepristone with a glass of water to block the hormone progesterone, which helps line the uterus during pregnancy.
• Step 2: up to 48 hours later, take an 800 mcg dose of misoprostol to increase uterine contractions. Misoprostol can be taken by holding the pills in your mouth or your vagina and allowing them to dissolve, so it’s essential to follow the instructions that come with the pills.

When taken this way, the two medications prompt your body to initiate a miscarriage that is physically indistinguishable from a spontaneously occurring one.

You will experience:

• Bleeding or spotting can last several days and may be heavier than a standard period.
• Cramping (uterine contractions) and abdominal pain within a few hours of taking misoprostol.

You MAY experience:

• Nausea, diarrhea, hot flashes, slight dizziness, and/or mild fever
• You may see blood clots or tissue that looks gray

Other things to note:

• Avoid putting anything in your vagina (tampons, fingers, sex toys, penises — anything!) for up to 2 weeks to help prevent infection.
• Wait at least 2 weeks after an abortion before taking a pregnancy test to avoid a false positive.
• Your first menstrual cycle will return in 4 – 8 weeks and could be heavier than normal.
• You could ovulate within 1 – 2 weeks after an early pregnancy ends — before your period returns! So, use condoms after the 2-week waiting period.

Seek help if you experience any of the following rare complications:

• Foul-smelling discharge
• Fever lasting longer than 24 hours or higher than 102.2F
• Very heavy bleeding (soaking a pad in an hour), severe pain, or nausea/vomiting that lasts longer than 24 hours
• Increased bleeding or blood that is bright red

Persistent cramping or pain that cannot be relieved through over-the-counter medication.