Abortion Pill: RU-486
What is it?
The drug RU-486, better known as the abortion pill, is a combination of two different types of medications: Mifepristone and Misoprostol. These drugs can be used up 10 weeks after a woman has conceived and is pregnant.
Taking the abortion pill?
Step 1
The first step when taking the abortion pill is to have had an ultrasound, ensuring that the fetus is within the proper gestational age to recieve the first pill. The first pill Mifepristone is taken at the clinic. This drug stops the natural hormone produced by a woman’s body during a pregnancy. This hormone is called progesterone and an absence of it will result in the breaking down of the lining of the uterus. The actively developing fetus is now starved through the blockage of any nourishment it would otherwise be receiving.
Step 2
The patient is sent home with the second drug called Misoprostol. She is told to take the second pill within 24-48 hours of taking the first pill “in the privacy of their own home”, under zero medical supervision. Misoprostol will induce a premature labor delivery. The woman will experience severe cramping, contractions, and heavy bleeding. This “cleaning” of the uterus and the child that once inhabited it, can last a few hours or even several days. This woman will not be in the hands of the people who provided her these drugs and will not be under the supervised care of a physician.
Is it safe?
After taking the second pill it is very likely that the heavy bleeding will persist long after the fetus is expelled and is no longer in the uterus. The average amount of time the prolonged bleeding will continue is 9-16 days; occurring for 1 in 12 women. Furthermore, 1 in 100 women will require hospitalization. Women who have medical abortions have a 4 times greater risk for complications and problems. This medication is not always effective and can fail up to 10% of the time. Nearly 5% of the woman who have had a failed medical abortion are required to have surgical intervention.
What’s happening till week 10
The growth of the fetus has drastically developed and is unmistakably a child. The fetus at this stage of development is about the size of your thumb. How far along has the fetus developed within these 10 weeks? At 18 days a baby’s heart begins to beat, at 8 weeks the baby’s organs are functioning, at 9 weeks the baby has their own developed fingertips, hands and feet are perfectly formed, and at 10 weeks a baby can feel pain.
Have you taken RU-486?
If you have taken it, it may not be too late if you’d like to reverse the effects and save your child’s life. By acting fast you can obtain the abortion pill reversal (APR) and save your child’s life. You can call a 24/7 helpline about abortion pill reversal and find out how you can obtain one before it is too late. The hotline number is (877) 558-0333.
The resources to write this article can be found on
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Questions and Answers on Mifeprex.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifeprex.
Wu, S, et al. “Clinical Trial on Termination of Early Pregnancy with RU486 in Combination with Prostaglandin.” Contraception, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 1992, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1451516.