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Mifepristone..."The Abortion Pill": The Facts
Biology 103
2000 First Web
Report
On Serendip
Mifepristone..."The Abortion Pill": The Facts
Sujatha Sebastian
On September 28, 2000 the Food and Drug Administration after several years of research approved Mifepristone, better known as the "abortion pill", for distribution in the United States. The FDA's decision will have a definite impact on women's health care in the United States. There will be social and medical repercussions. The drug has caused controversy not only in antiabortion groups, but in Pro-Choice groups as well. Critics are worried that an abortion available in pill form will be "too easy". They are worried that use of the pill will be abused. What many people do not realize is that while Mifepristone will be beneficial to women's health care, it is not without side effects. In light of all the recent coverage that the "abortion pill" has been given in the media, and all the misinformation surrounding it, I decided researching that Mifepristone would be interesting and helpful. The purpose of my paper is to discover how Mifepristone works, how it is administered, and to look at its side effects. I want to demonstrate the benefit Mifepristone will be to women's health care, while showing that it is not an "easy" solution to abortion."Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486, is a medical alternative to aspiration abortion."(1) It works by blocking progesterone from being absorbed into the uterus. When this happens the uterus sheds the endometrium (lining in the uterus, therefore inducing menstruation. (2 When Mifepristone is used as a method for abortion is it administered as part of a three step process. The first step is that 200 mg of Mifepristone is given orally in a doctor's office. Then within 24 to 48 hours the patient is given 400 mg a drug called Misoprostol either orally or in a suppository form. Misoprostol, which is a synthetic hormone, is used to get the cervix to soften and dilate as well as getting the uterus to relax. The embryo is then expelled.(2) This is supposed to happen approximately fours hours after the administration of the drug. The final step is an examination by a medical professional to make sure the abortion is complete. (2)
There are restrictions as to who can use this medical method of abortion. It is only intended for women to use up to nine weeks after their last menstruation period. Women who are under 18 or over 35, epileptic, diabetics, or suffering from heart, lung, kidney, liver, stomach or intestinal disorders are ineligible. As are women who have taken steroids within the past 12 months, or deemed overweight or a heavy smoker. Women who have used an IUD or hormonal contraceptive within three months prior to conception are not allowed to take Mifepristone as well.(2)
Like any drug or medical method there are side effects to using Mifepristone and Misoprostol. It is the number of side effects and degree of each that critics argue about. The FDA has determined that taking Mifepristone does cause various degrees of pain. Short term physical effects can be pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue.(2) There are psychological side effects as well. In some cases products of the conception are visualized. (3)
The use of Mifepristone will have a definite impact on reproductive freedom in this country and the world. (3) It is seen as less invasive procedure which gives the woman more freedom and privacy. In the United States it has been reported by the Alan Guttmacher Institute that eighty-nine percent of the abortions occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Mifepristone will allow women another option to terminate a pregnancy in its early stages. (2) Twenty-four percent of the world's population lives in places where abortion is not legal. (3) As a result a significant population of women perform their own abortions or receive illegal abortions which kills them. The medical method of abortion would allow women in these areas of the world to receive a safe method of abortion.
A major issue that critics of Mifepristone have is that they feel that the drug will allow abortions to become "too easy". But the drug is only administered in a medical office and requires at least three visits. The last visit is an examination to see that the abortion is complete and that the mother is in good health. Before the patient is given Mifeprex tablets (Mifepristone) she must sign an agreement in which she acknowledges that there are side effects, that there is a three step process, and that 5 to 8 women out of every hundred do not have successful medical abortions and need surgical abortions . (5) Critics worry that the drug will cause an increase in the number of women who have abortions. Supporters of the drug cite the fact that in France, where the drug is manufactured and was first administered, there has not been an increase in the abortion rate. (2)
Mifepristone will change the way that abortions are administered. This method gives a woman more autonomy and does not require her to go through surgical procedure. It can also prevent pregnancy by taken as soon as a day after she has had intercourse. This new method will allow more women to have access to safe abortions. Mifepristone opens the door to a new area of medicine in which previously surgical procedures are now approached in a medical manner. Whether in support of or against Mifepristone one has to recognize the new technology the drug represents.
One of the problems I had when researching information was finding unbiased information. Both pro and anti Mifepristone groups used "research" and statistics to their benefit. Distinguishing the difference between opinion and fact was difficult. This is especially true because there is not a lot of accurate information about Mifepristone published by reliable sources. This is due to the fact that Mifepristone has just recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Mifepristone that will be beneficial to women's health care and medicine. But one must realize that it is not without side effects and cannot be seen as an "easy" solution to abortion.
WWW Sources
1)www.plannedparenthood.org/mifepristone.html, Mifepristone2)www.rascalnut.com/naral.ohio/RU486.html, The Facts about Mifepristone (RU 486)
3)www.mja.com.au/public/issues/sep15/henshaw/henshaw.html, Mifepristone
4)http://jinx.sis.unsw.edu.au/~greenlft/1994/137/137p28htm, "Abortion Pill": A Woman's Right to Choose by, Kath Gelber
5)www.popcouncil.orgrhpdev/mifeprex/patient%5Fagreement.html,The Patient Agreement Mifeprex (Mifepristone) Tablets
6) www.pages.map.com/lroberge/ru486.htm, RU486: The Hidden Effects by Lawrence F. Roberge
6) www.nrlc.org/ru486/propsedFDAregs.html, RU486 *Please note that some of the sources read during my research were from biased sources (the National Right to Life Committee web site for example). Facts were not used from these sources in my paper. These sources were instead used to discover the arguments anti-Mifepristone groups had and to see the false information they were publishing about the drug.
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08/06/2005, from a Reader on the Web I took that pill and almost blead to death now i have have to say it's not as easy as it sounds it is very painful like child birth but more blooder atleast for me i now have endromitrious and may have to have my women parts removed i had nothing before i took those pills i'm 37 so i'm just saying better think it out before you take it because it's dangerious i have a son who is 18 it was easier for me to have him then go through childbirth than taking those pills becuse i'm still not well and it has been 7 months
For what it's worth, I though I'd share my personal experience using Mifepristone almost a month ago.. After having made the difficult choice to abort, I learned of this pill as an alternative option to having the traditional surgical procedure. Of course, as anyone would, I opted to try the pill because it seemed -less- painful and was something I could do in the privacy of my own home. After having been given the first pill, Mifepristone, at the doctors office on a Friday afternoon, I finished out my day at work with minimal side-effects at that point. The Mifepristone made me slightly sick to my stomach, but compared to the ongoing morning sickness I'd been going through, it wasn't so bad. (ha ha) Misoprostol was the next step, given to me in the form of 4 tablets, to be inserted vaginally myself at home. I was also given a full bottle of Vicodin, as well as a bottle of 800mg Ibuprophen for the pain the doctor anticipated I would encounter (this worried me a little). Late Satuday afternoon, I'd say around 4:30pm, scared to death not knowing what to expect once everything started, and knowing I couldn't turn back now, I inserted the tablets and took 1 Vicodin as directed. About 30 minutes from the time I did this I began to have cramping comparable to what you would feel during a typical menstrual period.. but not for long. Within an hour I had severe cramping.. I'd been warned the pain could equal that of actual child-birth contractions, and this must have been it. (I've never had a child, so I can only imagine) I was to the point of feeling like I would pass out if the pain didn't let up when I passed the first, and largest, portion of what -was- the pregnancy.. Many people will tell you that all you'll see is blood and clots, and it's unlikely anything will look like actual tissue.. but mine sure did.. Large masses of gray tissue were expelled for the following numerous hours. Somewhere close to midnight that night I felt relief enough to know it was over.. or so I thought. 4 days after this, while I -should- have been feeling more or less back to normal, I began to experience increasing pain in my abdomen. I called and spoke with my doctor about this, but felt as though she didn't seem concerned at all. No more than 2 hours after hanging up the phone I developed a fever that shot through the roof out of nowhere, and my heart began beating unbelieveably TOO fast. The "increasing pain" in my abdomen now had me laying in bed, hardly able to move. I called my mother who left work and rushed to my home to get me. I couldn't even get out of bed to let her in when she arrived I hurt so bad. I ended up in the emergency room that afternoon with a heartbeat of 143 beats/min.. (Check your own and then you'll see just how high 143 is) and a 103 temperature I ended up fighting to keep away for the next 4 days. To make a long story short, that first afternoon I spent over 8 hours in a treatment room in the emergency area before they got my vitals under control and discovered the cause of everything.. The abortion pill I used began attacking my own body in a sense, and began a horrendous infection in my uterus. In the end I spent a week in the hospital on 3 of the most potent anti-biotics available, as well as some heavy-duty narcotic pain killers, while specialists from the surrounding hospitals kept watch over me constantly. It's now been almost a month since then, and I still have to have blood work done, as well as ultrasounds every now and then to keep monitoring my recovery. I have constant sharp pains in my abdomen and have been told the scar tissue left over from the infection may now keep me from becoming pregnant in the future.. It's all so much to deal with, and honestly, I don't think I've come to terms with everything yet. It still feels like a bad dream. Regardless of my experience with the pill and side effects it caused me, I can still step back and look at the broad picture of things.. The majority of women who use this method have no problems, and for them, this is a good way to go. I really do think it's a better choice for most, than to have the surgical abortion.. BUT - be warned.. It's not "easy" using the pill, and there's no way to know how you're body will react to it. I never knew I'd go through the things I did because of it. This is definitely not something to be looked at as the "new contraceptive" either, as some are saying. It's so risky, putting your body through something like this. It could take a toll on you that will effect the rest of your life. Like me.. Will I ever be able to have kids after everything that happened? Every woman out there should begin by being aware of how to avoid an unwanted pregnancy from the start. Such as life happens, and most protection only offers 99.9% effectiveness, we forget that's NOT 100%.. If you still become pregnant and choose to abort, do your homework.. read about all possibilities, and all side effects for each.. then decide what's best for you. I think the pill is a great option.. but be careful, it's certainly not without it's flaws.
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
Seroquel
the effects of seroquel and pregnant women haven't been highly researched, however in lab studies it has been known to increase the chance of miscarriage, it is listed as a category c drug as it MAY cause harm to the fetus. It is not yet known if seroquel passes through the breastmilk to harm the baby. I would stongly recommend talking to your health care provider as he/she can discuss with you and determine if the benefits of taking the medication while pregnant outweight the risks it may cause your pregnancy. Since everyone reacts to medications differently your doctor will be able to assess you and make a recommendation for your particular situation.
Does this mean it failed? I'm so worried it didn't work.....
I took the mifeprex on Tuesday morning around 11... I then took the Misoprostol at 2 am on Thursday. I wanted to go through the pain on my day off. Its been 3 days since then and still nothing. I'm or was 3 weeks and I called the doctor on Thursday after noon and said nothing was happening she said to wait three days. I called today to try and move up my follow up and to find out what else I could do and they said call back on tuesday they wouldn't even move up my appt. I have a lot of emotional stress and the shakes a lot. I'm worried about getting an infection. I'll take the pain i just want this to be over with. Has anyone else had this experience? I wanted the surgery but the doctor said because the fetus was so small the doctor might miss it. I spent all the money i had on those pills how am i going to be able to get the surgery if i do need it... I don't know what to do.
do not worry
they will give you the suction abortion free if the pill does not work..well they do this where i live in the states im not sure about the uk..but stress will surely not help with anything
Im Terrified. Going in for
Im Terrified.
Going in for my appointment tomorrow. dont know how far along I am but def. less than 8 weeks. . .Most of these expereinces seem horrifiying...i dont even know exactly whats causing me to write this, I pray all goes well. (although that seems a bit of a contradiction eh?) =/
My daughters friend's
My daughters friend's grandmother has forced her to get a medical abortion. I am devasted for her. I know she has started the pill taking process and am very scared that she is going through this alone. Very alone. Should I offer to go to her home and spend the first few days with her or allow her to come to my home while she bleeds and cramps? Can some one tell me if she needs someone to physically care for her, because I fear her grandmother is not.
She knows I am aware she is pregnant, and I know she trusts me. I just DO NOT want her to go through this alone. I also realize it is none of my business, but I cannot imagine my daughter going through something like this alone. Her friend lost her mother years ago and her father is not being supportive at all. In fact she was told to get an abortion or she wasn't allowed to come home. She is only 16 and very scared.
Someone please respond and let me know if I need to get over there and care for her.
it was no problem!
Hi
i did an earlier post after taking the first pill and said that i would be back to tell my experience of the second pills.
Upon taking the second load of pills the following day (4 to be swallowed orally)..i jumped in my car and told my partner to drive FAST to get home. I got home and waited for the worst to come. 4 hours later my bleeding starts with a few clots , not many and to be honest i had more on the first day of my usual period. I sat and waited for this chronic pain that everyone seems to experience...it never came. Yes i had a few mild cramps a bit like wind and the bleeding continued for six days, but i had rather light bleeding in comparison to most. Because of this i was scared that it hadnt worked..so i went back yesterday to be rescanned and my uterus is empty.
I asked the doctor how comes i suffered so little and he said that it helped that i am fit, slim and healthy. However everyone is different and our bodies react in different ways. Therefore, to all the ladies who were like me and petrified that you will bleed to death or have the worst pain ever.. think positive, be healthy as possible and it can be just fine. I have seriously had worse periods than this termination. Also i have also given birth and you can never ever compare that pain to this!!! Perhaps that was a factor too? Nevertheless, i am still a wimp with pain generally, so im sure if it was bad then i would still have suffered.
In my opinion this medical abortion is a fantastic method and goes wrong in a few case only.
If you are very early and
If you are very early and have carried a baby full term and had a natural vagina birth,The pill is a good method.
I think after your hips expand in child birth and a 7-9 pd.baby has passed through your body -passing a small fetus is not as hard on our bodies as girls that have not had a child or went through labor.
Not good for the young girls over 6 weeks and with no children.
My story
I don't know how, but I knew I was pregnant. My body felt wierd. I had discomfort on one side of my hip always. Once my period was late, I knew I had to confirm my fear. I used E*P*T & it confirmed what I knew since the beginning...I was pregnant. I told my boyfriend. He was very supportive of my decision to terminate the fetus (I am a 22 year old college student. My family would have been very dissappointed in me) & was by my side throughout everything. In fact, it was he who did research on the abortion pill & surgical abortion. Together we chose to use the abortion pill. They make the abortion pill sound like a period, but its not. I was 5 1/2 weeks pregnant so I was elligible to take the abortion pill. I took the first pill on friday at planned parenthood, on saturday @ 3:00pm I took the second pills. I put the 4 tablets in the sides of my mouth. By 3:30pm, I felt dizziness, nausea, and cramps. The dizziness was so bad, my boyfriend had to catch me from falling & hitting the bathroom floor. I sat on the toilet for an hour. The pain was excruciating; I never felt so much pain in my life. I began to have diarreah & bled heavily. My boyfriend gave me the vicadin that the dr prescribed me. After I took the vicadin, I felt a little bit better. My boyfriend helped me to my bed to lay down, I was so weak. After about an hour, the pain returned & I was back to sitting on the toilet. I was in pain for 5 hours. During those 5 hours I experienced vomitting, dizziness, cramps, BLEEDING, & fatigue. It has been 10 days & I am still bleeding quite heavily (no more clots). The dr said I could bleed for up to 3 weeks.
I do not regret my decision to take the pill. Yes it is painful, but the privacy is nice. If you choose to take the pill, PLEASE DO NOT DO IT ALONE! Have someone be by your side to take care of you. The pill will drain you of your strenght.
My abortion pill experience
i am 20 years old and i have an 18 month old son. though it was unexpected i was happy so was my boyfriend that i was pregnant. we made all these plans and felt we were ready to do everything we had to for this baby. i had the baby and he is beautiful and the best thing that ever happened to me. yes having a baby is hard but the hardest part is being young and dealing with the father of my child not being everything i expected. we fought alot and are no longer together and we still fight alot. we are not quite over each other and i got pregnant again. now i never thought i would get an abortion but when i found out that seemed like my only option. i moved back in with my mother and was not able to have another child and go through this all over with this guy. problems over one child with him is enough. now i really wish i could have kept my baby but i dont totally regret it. well i researched an abortion clinic and found out they offered the abortion pill. then i researched the pill and decided it was the best option for me.hen i got to the clinic and told the lady what i wanted to do she said it was my choice but if it was hers she would do it surgically becaus it was faster and more definite. she said that the pill would most likely have alot of clotting and cramping but it affected everyone differently and they didnt know how it would affect me. i decided that i would go through with the pill and they made me sign a contract saying that if i came back in two weeks and was still pregnant i would have it removed surgically. i sign ed it and took the first pill orally on nov 6 2008. 48 hours later on november 8th i inserted four pills vaginally and about 30 minutes i started vomiting. i got so cold nothing could warm me and i got diareah. i also started bleeding and there were some big clots but that was the least thing thst was bothering me. after a few hours (about 3) i was able to take a shower and i felt alot better then i went to sleep and it was the best sleep i ever had. the next day i had some cramping but it was not as bad as the worst period cramps i ever had. after a few hours there was no more cramps and my period was still not heavy up until this point. about a week later it got really heavy one day and ther were some more really big clots but after that it was just a little bit heavier than light.i went to the doctor two weeks later and they said i was no longer pregnant and everything was fine. the only thing is it is now december 12th and i am still bleeding the same. it is really getting really annoying and it feels like i will never stop bleeding. i dont know what to do. there was really no pain though due to the pill i didnt even take one pain killer. i just want to stop bleeding i think i will go back to the doctor if it doesn't stop in about another week.
abortion pill
Hi
I live in the uk. I am 30 years old with a son of 5years. Recently found out i was pregnant and due to financial committments chose to have an abortion. This is my second termination. The first one was when i was 17 and this was done surgically. I was put to sleep and within half hour it was done. I have to say that this method was fine and had no problems at all. The abortion pill was not legal in the uk then so didnt have any choice.
Now 13 years later i have opted for the medical abortion pills instead. I went to the clinic this morning and took the first pill. Thankfully no side effects at all. I am back in tomorrow at 11am for the second lot of pills and have to say that im rather nervous. Not so much for the pain but scared that it wont work or that ill bleed to death. Ill be back HOPEFULLY to tell the rest of the story!
Pregnant.. again
Reading through all these comments has been so enlightening. Im shocked and surprised at some of the judgement made to those women who maternally felt no connection to what was inside them. Everyone's situation is different and we should respect that. I am 6weeks 6days pregnant and took the first pill today. Apart from the annoying neasua and sleeping right through the day, im ok. I woke up to find myself bleeding lightly. I will take the second the day after tomorrow, so will keep you all updated on that.
10 years ago when I was 16 I fell pregnant and had a normal abortion. I hated it, and because I hadnt told anyone about the pregnancy I had to escape the overnight clinic the nxt day by sneaking out in my school uniform. I remember rushing to school straight fr the abortion the following morning to make an end of term exam..
ahh.im scared.
I TOOK THE 1ST PILL AT 4:30 PM
IM TAKING THE 2ND TOMORROW AT THE SAME TIME. I DONT WANT TO BLEED FOR 2 MONTHS!
I HOPE ALL GOES WELL WITH ME....
WE WORE PROTECTION AND I GUESS IT DIDNT WORK. LIFE THROWS YOU OBSTICLES.
IM HAVING LIKE MINOR CRAMPS AFTER THE 1ST PILL I KNOW TOMORROW WILL SUCK.
IM ONLY 3 WEEKS PREGNANT.
I am extremely embarassed to
I am extremely embarassed to say that i used these abortion pills... but i feel that i should comment on my experience..... For some reason I felt my body strange and i just knew i was pregnant, but never really confirmed it wiithin myself.. by the 3rd week i checked myself and i was pregnant ( i was 18, this happened this august08) I almost spent the whole month of august thinking on what to do that eventually i told my mother and father that i was pregnant. I was very dissapointed in myself, but what was done was done. I let days go by and didnt really know what to do. I pretty much relied on my mother's opinion. exactly 5 weeks and 4 days later i went to an abortion clinic and was re scheduled because the doctor left early. this incident really got me thinking... and i thought''maybe it's a sign form god that i shouldn't do this'' but i ended up going for another appointment. i left crying and decided not to do it. my dad respected my decision but my mother didnt and i felt bad and i re scheduled and that time that i went back to the clinic, it ended up being 6 weeks and 2 days. I ended up taking the first pill on that day( since the maximum amout ofweeks to take the pills are exactly 7 weeks) I didn't feel anything at all except guilt of course.. i fell asleep and didnt even eat( you must*** eat that afternoon and night before you take the set of 4 pills the next day)The next morning i took 2 pills orally and placed the other 2 in my cheeks. 30 min later i immediately began to throw up, cramp up, bleed, etc.. i was even crawling on the floor. i couldn't even sit up straight to poop. I couldn't even talk. i was shivering and i was very cold. I had very bad cramps and bleeding through out the day( even though i couldn't really stand up i made sure to walk around my room to let the clots slide out from my vagina( that is very important since that's what causes the cramping). I really can't explain the pain.. but it's the worst pain i've ever felt. heck no. i'm not proud of what i did. i still feel guilty and i hope god forgives me. I truly recommend for you people not to let anybody know, because this is a very personal thing. if you truly feel u need feedback speak wih your mom or a doctor. by the way dont be scared if you get crazy ass symtoms like the ones that i mentioned.. it's important that your body reacts this way because that means that your body is letting out everything that should be let out of your body. make sure to walk around and let the clots out. and dont eat heavily on the day that you take the set of 4 pills(after you take the pills) because you're going to throw up everything(thats what happened to me) I felt very sick through out the whole day.. even the next day. everything i ate, i threw up. i recommend; eat slices of apples. don't force your body to do anything, not even excercise because you could have a hemorrhage within the 2 weeks that u r supposed to rest. go for a follow-up(very important!) i didnt go for a follow up and till this day i am very scared. I bled for a little over 2 months.. it's really not bad if you bleed alot because that is what's supposed to happen.. your body needs to let everything out. but if you dont bleed and a week later you end up having a very bad fever; that's fatal........... i just think that if you guys want to take these pills, you should really*** think about what your going to do. not because of the physical pain that your going to go through but the life that you are going to impede. i'm never going to forget this experience, i don't want to go through this ever again. The worst thing is that i wont forget my baby. even if it was slightly under7 weeks old it's still a life. 3 months later... things are back to normal.. i turned 19, i think i have a normal period, but i have pain and discomfort on my lower abdomen and i can't afford to go for a follow-up( i'm screwed.... i'm just talking out of my ass, but i seriously feel very ashamed of myself because of what i went through... i hope nobody ever finds out about what i did. by the way i'm scared about not being able to have a baby in the future since i took these pills(they can leave scarring in the uterus and may be hard to go through a pregnancy)
My Experience
I have read all the above comments just a day before I had to go through with the abortion.
I was very scared, however I had to make the decision of going through it.
I was admitted in the hospital at 8:00am and was given one tablet immediately.
The second tablet was given to me around 9:15am.
I started bleeding at around 10:30am,the flow was very scanty.
However i could feel the cloths coming out every time i went to urinate.
The pain started at around 11:30am and became unbearable at around 12:30pm.
The pain subsided gradually at around 2:30pm. However I felt very weak.
The doctor had advised me to leave at around 4:30pm.
It's the 3rd day after taking the pill, and I'm bleeding bad.
The next appointment with the doctor is on Wednesday. I hope everything is fine.
This is my experience.
I'm not going to say it's a painfull experience, however If it has to be done, then it has to be done.
I am in the process of
I am in the process of completing a medication abortion. I went to the doctor and took the first pill and felt fine. 48 hours later I took the 2 pills of misoprostol orally. I felt extreme pain after about 10 minutes and threw up everything after about 20-25 minutes. After I threw up all the pain went away.
I had no bleeding and it has been about 48 hours and still no pain or bleeding. I want to know if anyone has had any similar experiences. I dont know if it worked and I wont be able to find out until 2 weeks from now. I am trying to save myself some stress and wondering if something went wrong and I should make preparations for the future.
hi, I have heard that after
hi,
I have heard that after having an abortion, women's fertility is effected and there might be the chances that she may not conceive in future. Is it true? Please clarify...
Yes there are chances that
Yes there are chances that an abortion may affect the chances of a women getting pregnant in the future especially if she has had more than one abortion. I am not sure if the pill can have this affect but the vacumn procedure can damage the cervix which affect future chances of pregnancy.
Side Effects
i went to the clinic on 10/16/08 were i was given the first pill orally. on 10/18/08 i inserted the 4 vagianl suppositories at about 9 am and by 930 the cramping started...it wasnt anything to bad...just felt like the cramps i get every month. I started bleeding about5 hours later and that was bad! The clots, the amount, everything. So later that day maybe 2 or 3ish i passed teh tissue and the bleeding continued it slowly lightened up. The problem i am having is this past weekend 11/8/08 i thought it was done enough to have a lil intercourse....i eman it was practically done and it has been so long. lol So my boyfriend and i did alil it wasnt anything drastic, just more less to feel it ya kno lol...well anyhow it was maybe in for 5 min, no hard thrusting nothing and than the next morning the bleeding was heavy again with the clots and deep red color. I dont kno if something happened from teh intercourse or if it could just be my actual period starting...No one knows that i choose to take the pill, they jsut think i had a miscarriage. I dotn want anyone to kno so i am alone here. Please Please Help!!
Help me please
Well i have this problem now that im on this abortion process and im kind of SCARED to do this i mean i don't want this kid in my like right now, but im scared to do this, i even thought of talking on the phone with a friend. This still hasn't help me and i don't know what do to and i just need help that is all. Thanks
thirteen year old and pregant
As a mother of a thirteen-year-old I thought I thought I did everything right, but obviously some thing when wrong. As soon as I found out my daughter was not a virgin I took her to doctor for birth control. She chooses not to take birth control because she and her boyfriend broke up and it was a one time thing and she was not sexually active. The doctor made it her choice. That the way I took at that point. Then she got another boyfriend. I took her again to the doctor for birth control pills. I brought her a box of condoms and told her that I wasn’t telling her is O.K. to have sex but to please be safe. My husband didn't agree with all this. We have advised her since she was old enough to understand. She is the only child. She is an in vitro fertilization baby. She is our world. We have been giving her everything we can provide as a middle class family could. She was to go out with friends and have friends. She still wasn't allowed to date. Now she is pregnant and refused to have an abortion. The abortion clinic makes it her choice. Her boyfriend is sixteen. They both have everything planned out and of cause depending on others, such as government sources. I was thinking of trying this abortion pill on her. She is about five weeks, since her last period.
A Mother cries for help. We have been to counseling for a year and half. We stop going because the cost and most important we did not see much of a change in my daughters’ attitude. Please can someone tell me what to do. She will not give up the baby for adoption. She is much too young and not responsible to have a baby. Mother in Florida crying for help. Would this abortion pills be doing more harm than good?
My heart goes out to you. I
My heart goes out to you. I will tell you that I took the abortion pill on Monday and inserted the remainder of the pills Tuesday in my cheeks and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy and I did it to myself. I completely regret it, it was sheer horror. My follow up isn't until about 2 weeks from now but I got an ultasound done on Thursday and there is now a huge scar on my uterus which the lady says will heal. We'll have to see at my follow up. If you cannot get your daughter to do the traditional procedure then drop it. She will never forgive you. No one should be forced into this. It was the most painful day of my life.
thirteen and pregeant my daughter
As a mother of a thirteen-year-old I thought I thought I did everything right, but obviously some thing when wrong. As soon as I found out my daughter was not a virgin I took her to doctor for birth control. She choose not to take birth control because her and her boyfriend broke up and it was a one time thing and she was not sexually active. The doctor make it her choice. That the way I took at that point. Then she got another boyfriend. I took her again to the doctor for birth control pills. I brought her a box of condoms. Told her that I am not telling her is O.K. to have sex but to please be safe. My husband didn't agree with all this. We have advised her since she was old enough to understand. She is the only child. She is an in vitro fertilization baby. She is our world. We have giving her everything we can provide as a middle class family could. She was to go out with friends and have friends. She still wasn't allow to date. Now she is pregnant and refused to have an abortion. The abortion clinic make it her choice. Her boyfriend is sixteen. They both have everything planned out. Of cause depending on others, such as government choices. I was thinking of trying this abortion pill on her. She is about five weeks, since her last period.
A Mother crying for help. We have been to counseling for a year and half. We stop going because the cost and most important we did not see much of a change in my daughters’ attitude. Please can someone tell me what to do. She will not give up the baby for adoption. She is much too young and not responsible for having a baby. Mother in Florida crying for help.
im going through the
im going through the abortion myself. please dont do this im a healthy 22 year old woman and almost died from this experience,. i am extremely suicidal if you are willing to support your daughter during the pregnancy i would highly suggest letting her go to term and you raise this child with her if shes not willing to give up mfor adoption.at 13 she obviously doesnt have the mentallity or maturity to handla a baby,shes just a child herself.i feel so badly for your situation, but things happen.it doesnt mean you are a bad mother. your child needs you and so will her baby. you are in my thoughts and prayers.please dont allow her to make another mistake by getting an abortion.
abt unsure pregnancy
I want to know tht the test shows tht i am not pregnant but there are no mensuration this month and i m 20 days over from the date can i take the Mifepristone?
What should I do???
I dont know if anyone will even read this now.But Im scared and dont know what to do.Im 20 years old and I just found out that I am pregnant this past weekend. I took two test and they both said positive, I know that i absoulty do not want to have a surgical abortion this sounded like a better way for me. I just cant deside if this is the right thing for me I love babies and know that I would be a great mom... Im just not ready for that yet.But I dont want to tell my boyfriend he does not believe in that can I pass it off as a miscarrige and him believe that? Would it hurt worse to have the baby or take the pill?? Please help!!!!
unsuccessful
my sister is 18 was 8 weeks pregnant took both parts of the pill went back 10 days later for check up and she is still pregnant she is in a really bad state emotionally would never advise anyone to do this
Thanks
I would like to thank most of you for all of the stories that are on this page, cause im 19 and im living at my mothers house with my boyfriend and i just need some adive on doing this cause most of my friends don't want to me to get a abortion. I feel like crap and i know im only 8 weeks along, when i told my mother, she went off on me and started to yell at me but i guess that is what moms do......right!! The only that makes me happy right now is that my boyfriend thought it was a good idea for a abortion to be done. So my thing right now is that i will lose most of my friends due to this fact.....I have a friend that i have know for almost 8 years now and she doesn't want me to go through with this but she is telling me that her older sister doesn't want me around due to the fact that she has a child and this will effect me but still i need to do!!
Do you think it is wrong of me for doing this?
3 months
Can you be 3 months and still take the pill?
Scared
I took a home pregnancy test this week and it came out positive. My last period started on August 15th, so I figure I'm nearing the end of my 5th week. I am positive I conceived on August 27th...with my ex-boyfriend. He wore a condom, but it slipped off near the end. I'm 28 years old, and still live at home, and am in no position to raise a child right now. I called a local Planned Parenthood and made an appointment. Does anyone know what usually happens when you go there? I guess they have to do a pregnancy test first to confirm it? And can any Planned Parenthood give out the abortion pill, or only certain ones? I don't know what to expect, and am a little worried...
Scared
I am 25 with a two year old son. I found out I'm about 5 weeks pregnant and I have an appointment at planned parenthood next week to take the pill. I'm currently in school and work, and I just see no hope in having another baby. I do not know how in the world I will support it financially. Besides the guilt that I already feel, I think by reading some of the stories I would never get the sight of the tissue out of my mind. But at the same time I can't afford, nor do I want another child at this time. I see some stories of the experience not being so bad...decisions, decisions...
going to take second dose tomorrow
Hey peoples
I took the first dose of the pill today and went thru the day without cramps or bleeding....tomorrow ill let yall know what happens to me with the second dose.
im 16 years old and scared
hi, im 16 years old and found out i was 7 weeks pregnate. I knew that I am too young too conceive a child at my age, and didn't want to ruin my life. It was a really hard descion to make especially since i did not tell my parents, or well my friends. I was in on this alone. I made all my appointments at planned parent hood right after my pregnancy test came up positive. I cried for over 7 hours. I decided to go for the pill abortion, thinking it was my best option. I was throwing up and felt realyl sick for awhile before and after i took the first abortion and spotted a little bit. I took it around 11pm on a Saturday around 3 weeks ago. it was the worst descion i could ever make. Considering i only had tyleol with codein to help the pain that i was going to experience i was a little nervous that it wouldn't be enough. About an 20mins later after i inserted the 4 pills orally to the side of cheeks i threw up. And started to feel the worse pain ive ever felt in my entire life. I was screaming and crying in pain that my brothers friend heard me over my music and air conditioner and came upstairs to see what was wrong with me. At that time i was desperate i told him what was going on, and he kind of sat there just watching me holding my legs so close to my body and barley being able to move and just screaming cause i was in so much pain. he ended up just walking out of the room and going home. I ended up falling asleep and waking up several hours later with blood all over my bed and myself and a lot of blood clots. i went to the bathroom to clean myself up and more just started dropping into the toilet. A week after i felt really sick and was crying a lot and didn't feel normal. I decided to tell my mom what i went threw. Shes an emergency room nurse and didn't like that i was running a fever and not feeling well. She made me an appointment at planned parent hood to get another sonogram there. They told me i was still pregnate and had to rush to the emergency room. My mom was "too busy" to take me so i ended up calling one of my friends and telling them what happened and he brought me. The doctors told me that it was normal that there was still stuff floating around in my stomach and it will take another week for the baby to be fully aborted. I was in the hospital for 9 hours. Planned parent hood almost killed me. I am blood type Rh negative, the father is Rh positive.. if i didn't get the roagan shot before the baby was fully aborted its blood would of ran threw my bloodstream and i would of been dead by the end of the week. Sitting alone in the hospital for 9 hours made me really depressed and scared. I wasnt cooperating well with the nurses or doctors either. I was so scared and so alone and felt that someone that was supposed to be born is now dead, i just felt like shit. They finally released me and gave me more antibiotics to fight off infection. Its been 2 weeks since then and i am still bleeding, having cramps when i wake up in the morning and have been feeling really sick still. Ive been nauseous and constipated. My boobs are also extremely sore still. My mom isnt listening to me when i tell her that i feel really sick and isnt taking anything into matter. I guess i gotta go threw this all alone again. I hope everythings okay though. I hope i can still have a child when im older. If not, then i messed up. I messed up big time. =[ i dont wanna go threw this alone anymore...
Still Bleeding......
Ok, Im not sure if anyone is still reading this since all the posts are from a few months ago but I will try it anyway because I am scared and I dont know what to do..... I had the medical procedure done on May 23, and inserted the suppositories the next night before bed. I woke up the next day with diarreah like cramps and sure enough, I went to the bathroom, had diarreah and passed a huge "clump" in the toilet at a campground. So I knew that was it... They gave me vicodin for the pain and it really wasnt that bad. A bad period is what it felt like to me. The hard part for me was that no one knew what I was doing, including my husband, except my mother who was in another state. So I was camping with a bunch of people I barely knew and secretely going through this alone. I had to tell my husband I was having a miscarriage.
To make a long story short, I have been to the hospital twice since then, once for bleeding and once for pain. They did an ultrasound and said they didnt see anything there anymore but I still had the pregnancy hormones in my blood. Keep in mind I never told them what I did, I just said I had a miscarriage so Im not sure that I was checked the way I should have been. Here it is July 29, More than 2 months later and I am still bleeding. It has not stopped at all and the past few days its getting even worse so no signs of letting up, yet.
Im not sure if I should go to the hospital and just be honest and tell them what I did so they can make sure I am really ok. I have read that some people have to have surgery to stop the bleeding and some actually need a blood transfusion. My question is, how do you know if you are one of those people?? Am I ever going to stop bleeding?? Someone pleace tell me if you have had this experiance because I am really getting scared now and I have no one to talk to. Thank you
how r u
hello...just wondering how things turned out for you? i had the medical procedure before and it was a bad experience. I found out Im pregnant again, and this time I told my husband.
I understand what you are going through, doing this alone.
I think the bleeding will
I think the bleeding will stop cos the medical abortion pill is same as miscarrying. If you've been to the hospital then you shouldn't worry and you've had an ultra sound done, then there's no need worrying. I had a friend bled for about 3 months too. Why not try and get the depo provera shot see if it will help.
abortion pills
please im a university student have 2 children already im 8 weeks pregnant but mentallly not fit to carry with this pregnancy. please help where i can go for abortion pills
Just wanted some advice
Hi I am curantly in my 2nd year of college and have a 1 year old daughter. I just found out that I am pregnant again and was wondering if you could tell me alitte bit about your experience having 2 children and still being in school. Thank you
I did the pill......on 6/26/08
Hi..I did the pill about 3 weeks ago. I took the first pill at the clinic. That just caused me to feel nausea all day. I decided to do the 2nd part the next day. I inserted the 5 pills, 2 on each side of my cheeks at about 11:30 am. Left them there for 30 min as I was instructed and before I even swallowed, I began having intense cramps. And I started bleeding really soon after swallowing them. The cramps were really bad at one point for about 2 hours. I started clotting and that lasted for about 11 hours. Everytime I would even stretch out my leg or make the littlest movement, I could feel a clot come out. I slept sitting up on the couch, I mean I had to get up every 5 min anyways. The next morning, the cramping eased a lil, but I took pain pills to help. My bleeding was really heavy for about a week after that, then it was light pink and barely there by the time I went back for my 2 week follow up. At the appointment, the doctot discovered there was still some pregnancy tissue left in there that needed to come out, so she gave me a repeat of the 2nd pills. I took them this past sunday and I didnt bleed or pass anything at all! Does anyone know what will have to happen next? I am worried that that tissue will never come out...please anyone who has any idea about this, please comment. Thank you.
My second abortion
I have had a surgical abortion....a year after my daughter was born...It was very painful during the procedure...and I know that I could not do it again...But now, I am faced with another pregnancy that I cannot handle...and I am going to opt for the medical abortion pills tomorrow. After reading all that has been said, I am completely scared to death...I have my mother to help be by my side through this....and I know I can do it...but I cannot handle infections and defective pills....!!! How horrible! To think that after making such a tremendous decision of ending the life inside of you only to end up half dead yourself (and with a child already in this world who depends on you to make it)! I know that they will explain the risks associated with the pills tomorrow....or rather later today...but still, to read such horrible circumstances leaves me with great fear...I can only hope that I have the strength to get through this...God be with me....
I found out i was pregnant a
I found out i was pregnant a week ago and went to the local planned parenthood where they confirmed a 6 week pregnancy. however, they then told me that since the doctor was out of town, i would have to wait another week and five days to actually have my abortion. initially, i wanted the medical abortion, and still believe it is the right decision of the two. however, after reading all of these stories, and also being so much more far along than i was at first, i am terrified of the experience. i am supposed to take the first pill in about six days. the local pp wasnt very supportive, and almost all the info ive read about these pills are contradictory (effectiveness, safety, when you can take them, etc) so i am feeling very alone and confused. the idea of inducing a miscarriage is nauseating to me, but i dont feel like there is any better option. any support would be great, i am completely in the dark.
I have done abortion pill
I have done abortion pill previously and regret that since my bleeding was so heavy and didnt stop until my Doctor gave me some healing medicine. I was bleeding around 2-3 month!
Now i think that surgical abortion is much quicker and easyer by means of bleeding and recovering!
Im 19 and worried...
i just found out im pregnant and figured out i wanted to do the abortion pill, the thing that worries me is..is the abortion pill a good way to end pregnancy because i heard about numerous deaths and im scared of that so should i worry about that? Or will it be fine when i take it? i never had an abortion before its my first time i had my period last in the last week of may and it ended june 5th..today is july 3rd how many weeks preg would that be and when is too late to take the pill how many weeks in? i just really need to know cuz im scared and i want to get this done but i know once its done and over with ill regret doin the abortion but i know if i keep it ill get kicked out and i cant tell my parents especially my dad cuz ill get kicked out..i dont have money for a kid right now i dont know im emotionally stressed out sooo much...can someone help answer my questions it would mean so much and make me feel better...thank you
my last period was the end
my last period was the end of april. what happens if you are further than 9 weeks and take the pill?
I am doing the abortion pill
I am doing the abortion pill in four days, i am sooo scared!!! Any Advice? I am only a couple weeks pregnant...
advice
I would only do it if you are VERY early(6 weeks or under) and have carried and delivered a child Natural/Vagina birth.
I did it yesterday...
Hi There,
I did the abortion pill yesterday (26th June '08). Are you going to the hospital to have it done? I live in the UK and thats how it is done here.
Mine took a very long time to happen and I ended up having to have 2 lots of pessaries inserted. This doesn't happen to everyone though, the girl in the bed next to me had hers inserted after mine and she had it all over with in about 3-4 hours.
I had my first set inserted at 0930 and then the second at 1600, I finally left the hospital this morning.
I dont want to say that to frighten you its just that yesterday morning i went to hospital with the expectation of it being over in 6 hours and was devastated that it took as long as it did. So go / be prepared for a full day.
Also I would suggest that you do not do it on your own, take a friend with you as the amount of blood can be frightning and it is quite painful, so make sure you have good paracetamol. Also I would advise you to take / have with you extra clothing, my bleeding was particularly heavy and I went through 18 towels and 4 pairs of trousers / underware in the time that I was there.
I really hope i have not scared u with any of this, I read so much stuff on the net and none of it prepared me for what I experienced.
BUT remember every woman is different, I was 8 weeks pregnant, you may be more / less, my nurse was brilliant and said that it doesnt really matter how far you are people just react differently ... what I am trying to say I guess is be prepared for anything!
Good luck, you will be fine, get a great friend there with you and thats the most important thing. I am the biggest drama queen in the world with it comes to pain etc, and I lived!
If you have any other questions at all, and I mean anything, please do not hesitate to contact me, I will be as honest as I can with you.
Chaz x
second stage of abortion pill
i have recently cum back from turkey to cum down with a bug sickness and diarr really bad , i had it for over a week and spoke to nhs they advised me to drink plenty and let bug cum out , still had week on, when i finally remembered i was late on my period, so done 1 test came neg waited s week done another to find i was pregnant, i have been seein a turkish bloke which i met last year but didnt really wanna settle with him has i already have a 6yr old beautiful boy here with a english dad ,
so i decided to have the abortion pill 10/06/2008 11.00am i took the pill at the centre to then go home for 2day for second pill, i had slite cramping last nite but nothin dat i couldnt handle ,
got up this morning to make way to clinic arrived at 12.00 was givin he second lot of tablets at 12.15 pm i am now at home its 16.00pm and my pains are gettin alot stronger just started to bleed so got hot water bottle,how long know till the blood clots start and fets is out ?
i am schedualed to take my
i am schedualed to take my first pill tomrrow at 1 im nervous...i know this was the right choice for me im just nervous my little sisters graduation is on sunday the same day im schedualed for my next set of pills....i dont kno if i will be able to make it...also i am nervous about seeing the fetus in the blood clots that come out has anyone seen them?
Medical abortion
Im so nervous. I have 5 kids already and just confirmed that im 6 weeks pregnant last week after a visit to planned parent hood. Im scheduled to take the first pill friday morning at 8 so im praying everything turns out okay. Im mostly conerned with the pain, but after having 5 kids naturally im sure i will be okay. Reading all of your entries have made me relax a little so i wantred to thank all of you for sharing your stories. Wish me luck:)
I am 20 years old and found
I am 20 years old and found out I was pregnant in late February 2008. I first took 2 pregnancy tests, which tested positive. The next step was calling Planned Parenthood. They informed me that there were two options for the abortion process. Option 1 was the surgical procedure which involved local anesthesia and a sucker like tube inserted into the vagina. Option 2 was the pill abortion which is performed in your own house. I chose the pill abortion simply for the fact that I could preform most of the "procedure" in my own home and that it didn't involve instruments inside my uterus. You must be under 9 weeks pregnant in order to use the pill abortion. Before deciding whether to go through with it, I scheduled an ultrasound to see how far along I was and to give me a few days to think about it. I strongly reccomend having an ultrasound prior to the abortion scheduling, just to give you time to think and make a logical decision that is not rushed while sitting in the room. I had my ultrasound on a Thursday. It was not painful, just slightly uncomfortable. They insert a probe into your vagina for this process. I found out I was about 6 weeks along. I thought about it for a couple of days and finally decided to have the abortion on a Saturday. They will most likely give you another ultrasound just to confirm. I had to answer many questions to ensure I was prepared and informed about what I was doing. The nurses at Planned Parenthood were very nice and did not judge at all. After that they give you all the information and instructions you will need. You have to do a small finger prick to test your blood for positive or negative blood type. Once that is done they give you some crackers and water to eat. A dr. comes by and pops the first pill in your hand and asks you to swollow it and show her that you did. After that you are free to go home with all the information they gave you. I had no side effects from the first pill at the Dr.'s office. They said some bleeding and some cramping could be possible. I spent the rest of the day doing normal activities and just waiting. The next day (24 hours later as instructed) I prepared myself for the second part of the process. I ate a small breakfast, took a vicadin in adavance to prepare myself for the pain, placed an ace heating bandage on my belly and wore the most comfortable clothes possible. I then sat on the bathroom floor, inserted the 4 pills between each gum and cheek and waited the 30 thirty minutes as instructed. During the 30 minutes I was just anxious and became slightly light headed with some hot flashes. At the end of the 30 minutes you are instructed to swollow what is not dissolved. And thats where it all begins. The second I tried swollowing the remainder of the pills I became extremely sick to my stomach. I immediately threw up and felt like I had to poop really bad. I tried sitting on the the toilet but became so light headed and sick it was almost impossible. I began bleeding quite a bit and the heating pad was only making things worse. I called my mom and told her I needed her to come be with me. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I was so uncomfortable, with pains shooting through my vagina, my abdomen, up my back and I was extremely fatigued. At first, I thought something was going wrong and I needed to go to the hospital. My mom found me on the bathroom floor, half naked and curled up in pain. The only way I can describe it is that has to be what childbirth is like. Extreme pain that cannot be eased no matter what. I also felt like my bottom was going to rip open for some reason. Its a deep intense squeezing pain inside your stomach. I was sweating and running a fever. Luckily, this only lasted about an hour for me. As quickly as it had all began, the pain just dissppeared. I suddenly came to and felt much better. My mom helped me get up change clothes and layed me in bed. The rest of the day I just felt extremely fatigued with mild cramps, but nothing like the ones I had been experiencing. I bled for about 3 weeks later off and on, but very light. My recommendations: take your vicadin regularly as directed, drink lots of water, DONT DO IT ALONE, and take 2 days off after starting the 2nd set of pills. You will bleed alot that first day and pass some clotts (expecially when wiping). You must use pads, which suck because you feel like everyone can tell and you change them frequently. 2 weeks later you do a follow up ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy was aborted. My personal experience was that I felt it was the right decision, and I still believe it was. It should not be used as a form of birth control or taken lightly. There are some side effects, and most likely emotional trauma afterwards. If I ever accidently become pregnant again, i could not have another abortion. That pain was unbearable and I could not do it again, ethically. It is extremely painful, extremely emotional, and needs to be well thought out. The decision is a personal one but take time in making it. I dont believe you will ever feel 100% about your decision, but think it through.