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Therapeutic Abortion: Medical

(Abortion; Mifeprex; Mifepristone; RU-486)

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

Home | Health Information Center | Procedure & Surgery Fact Sheets | Article

Definition

Reasons for Procedure

Possible Complications

What to Expect

Call Your Doctor

En Español

Definition

Therapeutic abortion is the ending of a pregnancy on purpose. A medical abortion is done by taking medicine. This procedure can be done up to 8 weeks of pregnancy.

This process is not the same as emergency contraception. An abortion ends a pregnancy that has started. Emergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy.

Female Reproductive Organs

Reasons for Procedure

This procedure may be done to:

Preserve the mother’s physical and mental health
End a pregnancy that tests have shown would result in a child with severe abnormalities

Possible Complications

It is best to do the procedure as early as possible. This will decreases the chance of complications.

Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen, such as:

Excess bleeding
Allergic reaction
Infection
Incomplete procedure

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

The care team may meet with you to talk about:

Any allergies you may have
Current medicines, herbs, and supplements that you take and whether you need to stop taking them before the procedure
Tests that will need to be done before the procedure, such as an ultrasound to evaluate the stage of pregnancy

Anesthesia

No anesthesia will be used.

Description of Procedure

Medicine will be given in the doctor's office. This medicine will stop the pregnancy. It may be a pill, given by shot, or inserted into the vagina. Some people will also need to take other medicine 1 to 3 days later.

An exam will be done about a week later to make sure the procedure is done.

More medicine may be needed if the abortion was not complete. A surgical procedure may also be needed to remove any tissue that remains in the uterus.

How Long Will It Take?

The process can take a few hours. The amount of time depends on the type of medicine used.

Will It Hurt?

Bleeding and cramping is common after the procedure. Medicine and home care help.

Post-procedure Care

At Home

It will take up to 2 to 6 weeks for bleeding and cramping to go away. Tampons and sex will need to be avoided. Counseling may be advised to help cope with the procedure.

Call Your Doctor

Call the doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
Pain that you cannot control with medicine
Vaginal bleeding that soaks more than one pad per hour
Foul smelling vaginal discharge

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.

RESOURCES:

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
http://www.sogc.org

Women's Health Matters
http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca

References:

Abortion. American Pregnancy Association website. Available at: https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion. Accessed August 26, 2021.

Induced abortion. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/procedure/induced-abortion. Accessed August 26, 2021.

What is medical abortion? National Abortion Federation website. Available at: https://www.prochoice.org/pubs_research/publications/downloads/about_abortion/medical_abortion.pdf. Accessed August 26, 2021.

Last reviewed July 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review BoardBeverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 8/26/2021

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