It’s 2024. As another election year rolls around, we are surrounded by high emotions, confusion, misunderstandings, and even lies. In the midst of this, we have found that abortion pills are now more accessible than ever before—even despite the state laws you reside in.
Safe guards are in place not to harm you but to protect you. Before you consider a chemical abortion (the abortion pills), there are a few things you need to make sure have happened.
1. Have you had a medical pregnancy test to confirm your pregnancy?
Our office sees anxious women every month who state they took a “positive” at-home pregnancy test but were actually not pregnant. In the midst of a stressful situation, it is easy to misinterpret a pregnancy test, see a “faint line,” and sometimes, even experience faulty pregnancy test results.
Coming to LLS to take a free medical pregnancy test can provide you with immediate answers.
2. Have you had an ultrasound?
An ultrasound is an important tool used to provide you with information needed before making a huge decision. The ultrasound will determine if you have an intrauterine pregnancy (in the uterus), if the pregnancy is viable (if the baby has a heartbeat), and how far along you are in the pregnancy. This information would determine what abortion procedure you are eligible for. Women should not undergo the abortion pill process if they are past 10 weeks pregnant. Every week after that increases the risk of complications such as incomplete abortion, excessive bleeding, and infection. It should also be noted that miscarriage is cited to occur in 1 out of every 4-5 pregnancies. It is important to know that your pregnancy is viable prior to making permanent decisions.
3. Have your choices been explained to you?
Abortion is not the only option on the table but an abortion does end any further pregnancy choices and you cannot go back once the process is completed. Having informed consent (Informed consent is the process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention.) [1] includes knowing the local resources available to help you parent your baby as well as organizations that can help you create a modern day adoption plan. These choices do not have a fast approaching time limit. Making a decision out of fear often leads to regret.
4. Are the abortion pills given through an FDA approved prescriber?
An FDA approved prescriber would likely be someone working in an abortion clinic or U.S pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. If you have received abortion pills through any other means, there is no guarantee that the drugs have undergone FDA regulations or that the pills are even authentic. There are no guarantees with black market medication being shipped to the United States.
This is what the FDA says about buying the abortion pills online[2]:
FDA Does Not Recommend Buying Mifepristone Online
"Mifepristone prescribed under the Mifepristone REMS Program will be dispensed to you by your health care provider (or someone under the supervision of your health care provider), or by a pharmacy to which your health care provider has submitted your prescription. You can ask your health care provider whether they are certified in the Mifepristone REMS Program (or working under the supervision of someone who is). The FDA does not recommend purchasing mifepristone outside of the Mifepristone REMS Program – e.g. buying it online or personally transporting it from a foreign country. If a person does so, they would be bypassing important safeguards specifically designed to protect their health. Prescription medicines that are approved for use in the United States have been reviewed for safety, effectiveness, and quality by the FDA, and are subject to FDA-regulated manufacturing controls, including inspection of manufacturing facilities. Generally, prescription medicines purchased from foreign sources are not the FDA-approved versions. The FDA does not have regulatory oversight of prescription medicines from outside the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain; therefore, the FDA cannot ensure the safety, effectiveness, or quality of those medications."
Some black market pharmacies will even encourage you to lie to your doctor if complications arise. These organizations may tell you to tell the doctor and staff caring for you that you “think you are having a miscarriage,” instead of telling them you purchased abortion pills from an illegal website. This is not to protect you. This is to protect them.
5. Did you know that an abortion could possibly be reversed?
If you have initiated the first step of the abortion pill process by taking Mifepristone (also known as Mifeprex) but have NOT started the second step by taking Misoprostol (aka Cytotec), there IS a chance to reverse the abortion.
Time is of the essence so if this applies to you please check here: Abortion Pill Reversal Services
You can also read a previous blog with other APR resources below. This explains the whole process that has currently saved over 5,000 babies!
https://lifelinesampson.com/blog/the-right-to-know-can-i-reverse-an-abortion
Are you currently considering an abortion but don’t know where to go or what to do? Our services at Life Line Sampson are FREE, confidential, factual, and non-judgmental! We will love you no matter what decision you make and will make sure you are armed with knowledge before making this huge decision for yourself and your baby. Our team is here to support you when you are ready.
Call us today to schedule a free pregnancy test and ultrasound!
[1] https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430827/