What is a Medical Abortion?

Before making an unplanned pregnancy decision, know your options and seek the information you need. Medical abortion is a big decision with major consequences. And it may not be the right choice for you. Get the facts beforehand at EPIC Center. We’re here to provide needed services and give you clarity. Receive information from a source you can trust.

Medical Abortion: What You Should Know

Medical abortion uses drugs to end a viable pregnancy. Mifepristone, the first drug, blocks progesterone, a hormone that sustains the pregnancy. Misoprostol causes uterine contractions that expel the pregnancy tissue from the uterus.

If you choose this option, you will have vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping. You may also experience:

Nausea with or without vomiting
Chills
Fever
Headache
Diarrhea

Possible Risks

Though the chances of them occurring are low, there are medical abortion-related risks you should know:

Digestive discomfort
Fever
Infection
Heavy, prolonged bleeding
An ongoing pregnancy (if the medications don’t work)
Incomplete abortion (which may require surgical treatment)

If you are past ten weeks gestation, you are ineligible for a medical abortion. Instead, you will need to have a surgical abortion procedure, which uses surgical instruments or suctioning to remove the pregnancy.

Regardless of your pregnancy decision, you need to safeguard your health. EPIC Center offers lab-quality pregnancy testing and limited ultrasounds after a positive result. An ultrasound will confirm key pregnancy details and identify certain conditions that require treatment, like ectopic pregnancy.

You should also speak with your medical provider before an abortion. They can review your health history, discuss allergies, and note your eligibility for this procedure. Having an abortion without receiving the answers you need can have serious health consequences.

Here to Help

EPIC Center provides the compassionate pregnancy services you deserve. We offer a safe, nonjudgmental space to receive answers. We won’t judge you for your unplanned pregnancy, and our medical professionals are ready to provide reliable care.