Frequently asked questions about the abortion pill

If all the medication has been taken as prescribed, the chance of the drug induced abortion being unsuccessful is very small. This method of terminating a pregnancy is as effective as a suction curettage. Treatment with the abortion pill consists of two stages. You can read more about it here.

Treatment starts with taking the abortion pill in the clinic. This medicine is an anti-hormone, which means that it occupies the receptors for the body’s own progesterone in the uterus. This prevents the pregnancy from continuing. It also makes the cervix flexible, which makes the second part of the procedure more effective. 36-48 hours after taking the abortion pill you insert four tablets high vaginally. These cause the uterus to contract and expel the amniotic sac. This medication is a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin. This is not a female hormone like progesterone or oestrogen. So someone who suffers from the side effects of female hormones does not need to worry about them with the abortion pill. No female hormones are used with this medicine.

36-48 hours after taking the anti-hormone, you insert four follow-up tablets high vaginally. These will cause the uterus to contract and expel the amniotic sac. In 80% of cases, this happens 4-6 hours after the medication is inserted. This is usually accompanied by blood loss and abdominal cramps. We recommend that you take painkillers such as ibuprofen, diclofenac or naproxen on this day. If necessary, supplement with paracetamol. Blood loss can be considerable on this day. After that, the loss of blood varies greatly; from a few days to (sometimes) the next menstruation. – What does an abortion pill look like? The picture below shows the abortion pill. The blood loss can be considerable on this day. After that, the loss of blood varies greatly; from a few days to (sometimes) the next period.