Are you considering ordering the abortion pill online? Before you make this choice, we recommend taking time to read about the potential risks you may face.

Experiencing an unplanned pregnancy is never easy, and deciding what to do in that situation can cause severe anxiety and stress. Often, the main concerns a woman has during an unplanned pregnancy have to do with the thoughts and opinions of others. These fears can lead to women feeling pressured to hide their pregnancies and seek an abortion without the proper medical care.

Here are four good reasons you should avoid ordering the abortion pill online:

Pre-abortion screening is vital to your safety and health

Taking the abortion pill, even in a medical setting, can lead to severe risks and side effects, including hemorrhaging, sepsis, and infection. We recommend taking time to undergo the proper and necessary pre-abortion screenings before deciding if the abortion pill is right for you.

The following recommended tests and screenings are all available for free through The Hope Clinic:

Lab-quality pregnancy testing

Before choosing abortion, we recommend scheduling free lab-quality pregnancy testing at your local pregnancy clinic. Sometimes an at-home test can be taken too soon, resulting in a false negative. Our lab-quality testing will help you know for sure.

An ultrasound scan

Once we’ve received a positive result, we will schedule an ultrasound scan, which is necessary to truly confirm your pregnancy. An ultrasound scan will confirm that your pregnancy is viable, as well as determine the age and location of the fetus — all factors which will help determine whether an abortion is safe in your condition and which procedure is right for you.

STD testing

While STD/STI testing should be a routine healthcare check for anyone who is sexually active, it’s especially vital during pregnancy. Women considering abortion should first rule out any infections, as abortion procedures will increase the risk of other health conditions, such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).1

The abortion pill is unsafe after 70 days of gestation

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the abortion pill should only be taken within the first 70 days of pregnancy. After this point, the abortion pill is likely ineffective and can lead to severe health risks, such as infections and sepsis due to incomplete abortions and retained fetal tissue.

Schedule a free ultrasound at The Hope Clinic to determine your due date today!

Medication sold online is often not approved for consumption

These days, we can almost buy anything online, but it doesn’t mean we should. In the case of medication, it’s essential to determine if the drugs you’re purchasing have been approved for consumption by the FDA. Unfortunately, many online retailers offer versions of the abortion pill that have not been properly tested.

Schedule a free and confidential appointment at your local pregnancy to learn more about your options!

You will not have the care you need in case of an emergency

As we said, the abortion pill is a serious medical procedure and can lead to long-term health risks, like sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging.

Because of these risks, it’s essential that all patients have access to emergency healthcare when undergoing a medical abortion. Ordering the abortion pill online typically means you do not have the support and supervision required to deal with emergency medical situations.
If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering the abortion pill, we recommend scheduling a free screening at your local pregnancy clinic! The Hope Clinic provides free pregnancy testing, ultrasound scans, STD testing, and more!

Schedule your free appointment today.

 

1. Westergaard L, Phillipsen T, Scheibel J (1982). “Significance of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in postabortal pelvic inflammatory disease.” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 68(5): 668-90; Ovigstad E, et al. (1983). “Pelvic inflammatory disease associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection after therapeutic abortion.” Br J Vener Dis, 59: 189-92; Heisterberg L, et al. (1987). “The role of vaginal secretory immunoglobulin a, gardnerella vaginalis, anaerobes, and Chlamydia trachomatis in post abortal pelvic inflammatory disease.” Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 66(2): 99-102.