How is the Abortion Pill Used?
Mifeprex / RU-486 is used for the termination of early pregnancy, which is defined as 49 days or less from the first day of the last menstrual period. Because of the non-invasive nature of this drug, it is a popular choice for women who do not want to undergo a surgical abortion, or who wish to end their pregnancy privately at home rather than in a clinic. Another term often used to refer to a non-surgical abortion is “medical abortion”. When taken alone, RU-486 causes a complete abortion only about 60% of the time. Therefore, a second drug called misoprostol, a prostaglandin, is administered to the patient 48 hours later to increase its effectiveness. Misoprostol (brand name Cytotec) causes uterine contractions, which assist in expelling the embryo from the body, therefore making the medical abortion complete. A combined mifepristone / misoprostol regimen is approximately 95-97% effective in terminating pregnancies when used as directed. Who Should Not Use the Abortion Pill? Women sho
