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Usage of Abortion Pills in Pregnancy Termination
The drug abortion, also called the abortion pill, consists of a treatment with drugs. The abortion pill is therefore different from the contraceptive pill or the morning-after pill.
Operation and intake schedule
The so-called abortion pill is not 1 pill but consists of a combination of tablets, namely Mifepristone and Misoprostol, which must be taken on different days. The combination can be used up to 9 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period. The Mifepristone blocks the action of the hormone progesterone and promotes opening of the cervical canal. Misoprostol induces contractions. Sometimes the use of the abortion pill is not possible for medical reasons, so-called contraindications, for example in case of high blood pressure or asthma.
The most common procedure today consists of taking 1 tablet of Mifepristone in the clinic, followed 36 to 48 hours later by taking 2 tablets of Misoprostol, possibly followed 4 hours later by another 2 tablets of Misoprostol.
What can you expect
After taking the Mifepristone tablet on day 1, you can already start to flow as during menstruation. This may be accompanied by painful cramps. Sometimes this flowing is very intense. The flow in itself does not mean that the pregnancy is gone. If you have vomited within 2 hours of taking the Mifepristone tablet, another Mifepristone tablet must be taken.
After you have started taking the Misoprostol tablets on day 3, you must be aware that painful to very painful contractions will occur. The pain should really only be treated with paracetamol or morphine preparations: aspirin and other painkillers (NSAIDs) such as Brufen are not allowed because they counteract the effect of the Misoprostol tablets.
In about 60% of cases, the pregnancy product is expelled within 4 hours of taking the Misoprostol tablets; in 40% after 24 -72 hours. The blood loss usually lasts for another ten days.
Side effects
The most common side effects are: nausea (20-65%), vomiting (10-44%), chills or fever (7-44%), headache (27-32%) and dizziness (12-38%). The chance of infection after treatment is less than 5%. In 15-18% of women there is ample to severe blood loss. The blood loss can last for several weeks. In some cases, even blood transfusion may be required.
Result
When using the abortion pill, the result is delayed: it is not known in advance when and whether a complete abortion will occur. In 2-10% of cases, curettage is still required due to incomplete abortion, a still existing pregnancy or serious blood loss. The failure rate is 4-6 times higher than with a suction curettage. Failures require curettage, because the use of these substances can lead to abnormalities in the fruit.
Check
Check-up takes place after three weeks. An ultrasound will be made and a pregnancy test will be done.
