If you are considering the abortion pill, you have likely read that it is a simple way to end an early pregnancy.
However, this method also poses certain risks that can significantly affect your health.
Below is important information to know before you decide. You can also schedule an appointment with The Cherish Women’s Resource Centre to gather additional information.
We offer no-cost resources, so you have what you need to make an informed decision.
What the Abortion Pill Involves
In Canada, the abortion pill is dispensed as Mifegymiso, a combination of two drugs.
Mifepristone blocks progesterone, the hormone a pregnancy needs to grow and develop. Without this hormone, the uterine lining thins, and the pregnancy ends.
Misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours later, causes the uterus to contract so the pregnancy is expelled through the vagina. Health Canada authorizes Mifegymiso only through the first 63 days (9 weeks).
Physical Risks to Weigh
Vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping will occur as these drugs work to end and expel the pregnancy. But there are also known risks, some of which can be dangerous to your health and require medical intervention.
These risks can include:
- Incomplete abortion, where tissue remains in the uterus, and surgical intervention may be needed.
- Hemorrhage, meaning bleeding heavy enough to soak two thick pads an hour for two hours in a row.
- Infection, marked by foul-smelling discharge or a fever lasting more than 24 hours, which can turn life-threatening without treatment.
- An ongoing pregnancy, when the drugs do not end the pregnancy.
- Severe abdominal pain that does not ease with time.
- Allergic reaction to either drug.
You Are Not Alone
Accurate information is the foundation of any decision this significant.
At The Cherish Women’s Centre, you can take advantage of no-cost pregnancy testing and a non-diagnostic ultrasound, then receive options counseling, where a trained peer counselor can answer all your questions and walk you through the options available to you.
This is your decision; we’ll help you make an informed one and can get you scheduled for an ultrasound quickly, so you can gather more details in a timely manner.
Schedule your no-cost, confidential appointment today.
The Cherish Women’s Resource Centre does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
