What Are the Risks of the Abortion Pill?

May 1, 2025

Considering the abortion pill after finding out you’re pregnant? Maybe it seems like the wrong time, you fear your future, or you don’t know what kind of support you will have in the future.

Before making such a major medical decision, you deserve to better understand the risks it may have on your health. Risks may include infection, heavy bleeding, or incomplete abortion (requiring another abortion procedure to complete).

The Abortion Pill Explained

Also known as medical abortion, the abortion pill consists of taking two different drugs to terminate pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol. 

Mifepristone first works to block the hormone progesterone, preventing the uterus from sustaining a pregnancy and causing the fertilized egg to detach from the uterine wall. 

Misoprostol is taken 24-48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy from the body.

The Risks of the Abortion Pill

There are physical risks to consider before going about medical abortion (the abortion pill). Some possible risks of a medical abortion include the following:

• The body not releasing all pregnancy tissue in the uterus, also called an incomplete abortion. This may require surgical abortion.
• An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
• Heavy and prolonged bleeding
• Infection
• Fever
• Digestive symptoms such as upset stomach

Understand Your Pregnancy Details

Before going about any type of abortion procedure, including the abortion pill, know where your pregnancy stands with pregnancy testing and an ultrasound. 

The FDA only recommends a medical abortion (the abortion pill) for women through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Attempting a medical abortion after 10 weeks drastically increases the chance of risks to your health, such as incomplete abortion.

AT Darke County Pregnancy Help Center, we can help you gain clarity with free pregnancy services and more information about your pregnancy options, including abortion. You are not alone. Schedule an appointment today.

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.