If you are looking into an abortion for your unexpected pregnancy, one of your first concerns should be safety for your health. While ordering the abortion pill online may seem like a convenient option, it often skips important screenings meant to protect you.

Read this article for steps to take before ordering the abortion pill online.

Ordering Online Skips Important Health Screenings

If you are prescribed an abortion medication through just a telehealth complication, it skips an essential screening: a pregnancy test. 

Most importantly, after you’ve verified your pregnancy with a positive test, you will want to follow up with an ultrasound. 

This digital scan of your pregnancy gives you credible information, like your pregnancy’s location. An ultrasound could reveal an ectopic pregnancy, which means it is growing outside the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy can be a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention.

An ultrasound can tell you the gestational age of the pregnancy, which can impact your eligibility for a medication abortion. You need this information because the medication abortion procedure is FDA-approved only for pregnancies up to 10 weeks gestational age.

Lastly, an ultrasound will confirm the viability of your pregnancy. Up to 26% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, so knowing if the pregnancy is still viable will eliminate any possible “what ifs” as you make a pregnancy plan. 

You May Not Qualify for the Abortion Pill

In addition to having an ectopic pregnancy or being past the FDA-approved gestational age, there are several other disqualifiers you should be aware of for the abortion pill. These include if you: 

  • Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place
  • Have certain medical conditions
  • Take a blood thinner or specific steroid medicines
  • Can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or don’t have access to emergency care
  • Are allergic to the medication

The Abortion Pill Comes with Risks

Review and make sure that you are aware and comfortable with the possible risks of a medical abortion.

  • Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
  • An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
  • Heavy and prolonged bleeding
  • Infection
  • Fever
  • Digestive system discomfort

Next Step: Free Pregnancy Services

Lakes Life Care Center offers free, confidential pregnancy services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options consultations.

It is a non-judgmental environment where you can learn about your pregnancy, ask questions, and get the necessary resources to make a confident decision. 

Contact us today to make an appointment!