Fact
Medication abortion
Medication abortion uses prescribed medicines to end a pregnancy. In the United States the usual approach uses two medicines taken in sequence, and the Food and Drug Administration has approved this use through a stated point in early pregnancy. The process usually involves cramping and bleeding heavier than a period, and it includes a follow-up step, because completion cannot be confirmed from symptoms alone.
This page describes medication abortion in general terms. It is not a dosing guide, it does not tell you whether medication abortion is suitable for you, and it does not replace the instructions from a prescribing clinician or the Medication Guide supplied with any prescription.
If this may be a medical emergency
Call 911 or go to an emergency department now. Sudden severe abdominal or pelvic pain, shoulder pain, weakness, dizziness, or fainting can be signs of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
After an abortion, contact your clinician urgently for any of the following:
- severe pain that does not improve
- very heavy bleeding
- foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- fever or chills
- flu-like symptoms that continue
- fainting
These examples are not a complete list, and this page cannot tell you how serious your situation is. Follow the emergency instructions your clinician gave you and the instructions that came with any prescribed medication.
What happens when you call 911 (opens 911.gov). For urgent emotional distress, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (opens 988lifeline.org) answers calls and texts. It is a general crisis service, not an abortion information line.
What it is
Medication abortion is abortion using prescribed medicines rather than a procedure. It is sometimes called the abortion pill, though that phrase is misleading, because in the United States the standard approach uses two different medicines rather than one.
The medicines are prescribed by a clinician after an assessment. That assessment includes confirming how long the pregnancy has lasted, because the approved use has a stated limit, and reviewing health history for anything that would make the approach unsuitable.
How the process is usually organised
The process generally has four parts.
- Assessment. A clinician confirms the pregnancy and its duration, reviews health history, and discusses what to expect. This can happen in person or, in some places and circumstances, through telehealth.
- The medicines. Two medicines are taken in sequence, with an interval between them that the prescribing clinician specifies. The Medication Guide supplied with the prescription states the instructions that apply.
- The process itself. Cramping and bleeding follow. For most people the heaviest part happens within a few hours of the second medicine, but timing varies.
- Follow-up. The clinician arranges a way to check that the process is complete. This might be a test, an ultrasound, a call, or a combination, depending on the service.
This site does not state doses, timings between medicines, or routes of administration. Those come from the prescribing clinician and the Medication Guide, and giving a general answer here could conflict with the instructions a particular person has been given.
What people commonly experience
Experiences vary widely, and no page can tell you what yours will be like. In general terms:
- Cramping. Usually stronger than period cramping, often coming in waves.
- Bleeding. Usually heavier than a period, often with clots. Lighter bleeding or spotting can continue for some weeks.
- Other effects. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, chills, or a mild temperature can occur, and are described in the Medication Guide.
- Timing. Some people find the heaviest part is over in a few hours. For others it takes longer.
The bleeding and pain sections of the recovery page describe the general patterns in more detail, and explain the difference between an expected effect and a reason to contact a clinician.
Why there is a follow-up step
Symptoms alone do not tell anyone whether a medication abortion is complete. Heavy bleeding does not confirm completion, and lighter bleeding does not rule it out. A pregnancy test taken soon afterward can still be positive for a period of time even when the process has finished.
This is why the process includes a follow-up arranged by the clinician, and why this site never tells a reader that their abortion is complete. The follow-up expectations are covered on the recovery page.
Limits and what is outside them
Approved use in the United States applies up to a stated point in early pregnancy, with conditions attached. That limit, the conditions, and the current safety information are published by the Food and Drug Administration, and they are the authority on this rather than any secondary summary, including this one. The source list at the end of this page links directly to the current material.
Some situations mean medication abortion is not used. One of the most important is a known or suspected ectopic pregnancy, where the pregnancy is growing outside the uterus. Abortion medicines do not treat an ectopic pregnancy, and an ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency if it ruptures. The warning signs are set out in the panel at the top of this page.
What this page will not do
- It will not give you a dose, a schedule, or a route of administration.
- It will not tell you whether you are eligible.
- It will not calculate how long you have been pregnant.
- It will not tell you whether your symptoms are normal.
- It will not tell you where to obtain medicines outside a clinical relationship.
Each of those requires a clinician who knows your situation. A page that guessed would be guessing about someone's health.
If you are looking for a provider
A verified provider search and a hotline that can discuss options and costs are listed on the access page. This site does not maintain its own provider directory, because a directory that is not actively verified can send people to the wrong place.