Abortion is the termination of pregnancy. This term is used to mean any form of termination, including miscarriage which is also called spontaneous abortion. Abortion can be induced by certain medications.
Abortion Pill Facts
- The abortion pill, known as RU-486, is a drug used to induce abortion.
- It has been approved by the FDA for use as long as it is dispensed with a prescription.
- It works in a variety of ways. First, it blocks progesterone which is required for pregnancy to continue. Then, the drug also induces uterine contractions which can expel the embryo.
- The drug is mostly safe to use, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. That means that for the drug to be safe and effective, it must be taking within 49 days from the last menstrual period. If the woman’s periods are irregular, an ultrasound will help determine the age of the fetus.
- It can still work in later stages but the possible side effects are severe.
- The pill contains similar ingredients as those in the “morning after” pill but differs in usage. The abortion pill is used only when the pregnancy has already been established while the morning pill is given to prevent pregnancy from happening.
Abortion Pill Side Effects
- Because the pill induces uterine contractions, it leads to the removal of the fetus. Now, this process causes bleeding.
- However, it is important to understand the differences between normal bleeding due to the abortion process and heavy bleeding. Heavy bleeding is already a side effect, not merely the affect is to be achieved.
- Aside from heavy bleeding, other possible side effects are:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Painful cramping
- Diarrhea
Abortion Pill Long Term Effects
- The pill is designed to terminate pregnancy by uterine contractions and temporary blockage of progesterone. Thus, the desired effects and side effects are often just temporary.
- Data from clinics legally allowed to administer abortion drugs and doctors who prescribed such pill show that most of the women who have undergone induced abortion do not have long term fertility problems. This is unless they already had fertility problems even before the induced abortion was done.
- Infertility is still one possible long term side effect. This could be because the uterus was scarred by the process of forcible removal of the implanted fetus.