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Early Medical Abortion (Abortion Pill)

Image of women with pregancy test considering abortion

Early Medical Abortion (abortion pill)

You can have an early medical abortion (EMA) using an abortion pill up to 9 weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion Pill Treatment

The Mifepristone tablet is swallowed and works by blocking the action of progesterone, a hormone needed to maintain the pregnancy. Misoprostal is a tablet inserted into the vagina containing a hormone called prostaglandin. Prostaglandins occur naturally in the body and help the uterus to contract.

Acting together they will bring on an abortion.

EMA has a very good safety record, however, every form of medical treatment carries some risks or side effects. With this treatment, the main risks are:

Excessive vaginal bleeding
Incomplete abortion
Infection
Allergic reactions

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Visits To The Abortion Clinic

First visit

You will be given a Mifepristone tablet to swallow with a glass of water.
After taking the abortion pill, you need to stay at the clinic for a little while so that we can check that you are okay.
You will be given your next appointment time and a number to call if you are worried or have any questions.

Second visit

After your first visit, you will be asked to return to the clinic within 24 hours. You must keep this appointment. There is a waiting room for relatives and friends whilst you are having treatment.

You will be taken to a room and any symptoms that you may have experienced since your first appointment will be discussed with you. If all has been well, your treatment will continue.
You will be given pain relief before the Misoprostal.
A nurse will insert Misoprostal abortion pill vaginally or orally. If you select to the pill inserted in your vagina, you can choose to put them in place yourself. The Misoprostal helps your body to remove the pregnancy so you will start to bleed and have period-like pains.

All women react differently to this treatment. Some have heavy bleeding and quite a lot of pain, while others have very little bleeding and mild pain. Most women are in between the two, however, it is important to remember that this is not a completely pain-free procedure.

You may experience the following:

Nausea or sickness
A feeling of light-headedness
Feeling feverish
High temperature
Diarrhoea

You can leave the clinic after the treatment. You should take it easy for a couple of hours. After this time you may find that moving around will ease any discomfort.

The abortion usually takes place between 4 and 6 hours following the insertion of the tablets.

FAQ

Are there any side effects?

After taking the first tablet, you may experience the following:

Bleeding and passing of clots
Feeling faint or a little nauseous*
Headaches and skin rashes may occur
Slight dizziness or feeling feverish
You may experience heavy cramp-like period pains
Miscarriage may occur in rare cases before the second tablet

* If you vomit within 2 hours of taking the Mifepristone, please contact us and speak to a nurse.

You must still attend the clinic for your planned second appointment. We can not be sure you have passed the pregnancy sac and therefore we will need to continue with the second part of your treatment.

You may take pain relief that does not contain aspirin.

Can I change my mind after the first treatment?

It is inadvisable for you to change your mind once the first tablet has been taken. If the pregnancy continues the baby may be born with abnormalities.

How to avoid risk of infection

How to avoid the risk of an infection occurring:

Ensure you take the antibiotics provided by the clinic as directed
Refrain from sexual intercourse for three weeks after the treatment
Do not use bubble bath or bath salts for at least three weeks after the treatment
Use sanitary towels instead of tampons until your next regular period

If you develop any unexpected symptoms or reactions that you are unsure about, please contact the clinic and discuss your symptoms with a nurse. If you have had the Depo-Provera injection, you could bleed intermittently after the second tablet.

Can I Drive?

1st visit – you can drive before and after treatment
2nd visit – we recommend you arrange to be collected and have someone with you (or nearby) overnight.

Do I still need to use contraception?

You can still get pregnant again and you must use reliable contraception.

You can start the contraception pill after the second visit. If you do start the Pill, your next ‘period-like’ bleed is likely to be sometime during your week break. Please start your next packet as instructed. Remember to use an alternative method of contraception (eg. condoms) because antibiotics can make the Pill ineffective. Depo-Provero/ injection or Nexplanon/implant) can be given at your second appointment. Long Acting Reversible Contraception such as the IUD or IUS can be provided – ask the nurse to book an appointment.

NUPAS can provide you with the full range of contraception.

Abortion Aftercare

Discharge from the Clinic

You may bleed heavily following the second visit, usually for 2 – 3 days and you may even pass some clots. This is quite normal. After this time, the bleeding will reduce but you could bleed on and off for 3 – 4 weeks.

If you have any concerns you can always contact us.

Post procedure

You can take your normal painkillers (they must not contain aspirin) to relieve any discomfort. Do not take more than two in 4 hours.

Your first period may occur 4-6 weeks later and it may be heavier than normal.

We also advise that you avoid any heavy lifting or exercise for 2-3 weeks.

Aftercare

It is advisable to carry out a pregnancy test 3-4 weeks later to confirm your treatment was successful. If the pregnancy test is positive, please contact the clinic for further advice.

This kind of medical abortion may not be suitable for you if any of the following apply:

You have been on long term corticosteroid treatment
You are on any anticoagulant (blood clotting) treatment
You have had a bad reaction or are allergic to Mifepristone
You have liver or kidney disease
You have risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol levels
You suffer from any other disease or illness and are taking other medication
You have an IUD in place which may need to be removed prior to the beginning of treatment
You are breast-feeding (we do not recommend use of Mifepristone in women who wish to continue breast-feeding because the drug will pass into breast milk- it takes around 26 days for the drug to clear the body)

If any of these conditions apply, please inform the doctor/nurse who will discuss them further with you.