What is the Abortion Pill?
A. Mifepristone, also known as RU-486 or the French abortion pill. Mifepristone was first developed as an early-abortion drug in France in 1988, under the name RU-486. After years of controversy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has has now approved the drug for use in the U.S. Mifepristone comes in a pill form and it is used as an abortion method for the earliest days of pregnancy.
The abortion pill is another name for mifepristone, one of the medicines that can be used to end an unwanted pregnancy. Studies show that the abortion pill works up to 63 days after the last period begins. The process of using the abortion pill is called medication abortion. How does the abortion pill work? There are three steps. The first step, your clinician will give you a dose of mifepristone. The second step, you will return home and take another medication called misoprostol. The third step, you will return to your clinician for a follow-up visit. Step One • Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus breaks down, ending the pregnancy.Step Two • Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and empty. This is the abortion.Step Three • Follow-up. Your clinician needs to make sure the abortion is complete. You will need an ultrasound or blood test.How long does it take? The process of the abortion begins immediately after taking the mife
The abortion pill is called Mifeprex or RU-486. Mifeprex followed by the drug misoprostal is approximately 92-95% effective. The FDA has only approved this drug to be used up to forty-nine days from the beginning of a womans last menstrual period. They determine the age of the fetus using ultrasoumd. (Mifeprex) How does Mifeprex and misoprostal work? Mifeprex blocks the naturally produced hormone progesterone. Women produce this hormone, when they are pregnant, to help maintain the pregnancy. Without this hormone the lining of the uterus softens and breaks down. Misoprostal causes the uterus to contract to help complete the abortion. (Mifeprex) What is the process of ending a pregnancy with the pill? The woman makes three visits to the doctors office. On her first visit she is provided information on how the pill works, she is counseled, and she signs a statement saying she has decided to end her pregnancy. She also has an ultrasound to determine the fetus is under seven weeks old. She
The “medical abortion” is also not just one pill, but at least two pills depending on if a miscarriage is achieved after the second pill. The Feminist Women’s Health Center website says there are two types of medications a woman must take in order to abort a pregnancy of 8 weeks or less. The first is mifepristone, which is also known as RU486, and the second is misoprostol. Mifepristone is usually administered at the doctor’s office and then the misoprostol is taken 24 to 72 hours later. Misoprostol causes contractions in the uterus in order to expel the pregnancy. Before taking these medications, the woman must be confirmed pregnant and must agree to have a surgical abortion should the pills not work.
The Abortion Pill is also known as RU486, the Early Option Pill, and Mifepristone. It can be used to end pregnancies up to 9 weeks. The first pill is taken in a private doctor’s office, followed by a second set of pills taken at home 24-72 hours later. The second set of pills brings on bleeding heavier than a period. A follow-up appointment is required for this procedure. Who We Are We are Women Family Doctors offering Professional Medical Information on Early Abortion. We have created this Resource Guide to help women learn the most Advanced Methods for ending early pregnancy and find Women Doctors who perform private, early abortion services.
