Yes, you can technically get the abortion pill online. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against buying the abortion pill online due to safety and quality concerns.
Additionally, you can miss certain safety steps that could impact your health. Keep reading to learn about what you should know when considering buying the abortion pill online.
Also, if you think you may be pregnant and are located near Slippery Rock or New Castle, PA, schedule an appointment at Alpha Omega Center. We can provide early pregnancy services and confidential support at no cost to you.
Protecting Your Health: What You Need to Know
1. Are the Pills Safe?
The FDA advises against buying abortion pills online, meaning ordering drugs online and receiving them through the mail.
This is because they do not regulate overseas and “unregulated” pharmacies.
If you receive drugs from a supplier outside the U.S. drug supply chain, you will not be able to be certain of the quality, safety, dosage, or effectiveness of the drugs. Additionally, you will not know for sure if you have what you think you have, or if they gave you something else.
Were they made in sanitary conditions? Do they contain the correct ingredients? Are they expired? Are they the correct dosage? You will not know if you order from an unregulated online source.
2. Knowing Your Gestational Age Is Crucial
How far along you are (your gestational age) will impact whether or not the abortion pill would be considered an option for you.
The FDA has only approved the abortion pill through the first ten weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortion pills become even more unsafe.
It’s critical to receive an ultrasound before moving forward with an abortion. Period tracking apps are not always accurate. You may have bled after becoming pregnant and it could have seemed like a period. Or, your periods may be irregular. It is vital for your health that you know for sure that you are pregnant, how far along you are, and that your pregnancy is progressing normally.
Further, you could have an ectopic pregnancy. Abortion pills will not treat an ectopic pregnancy. Taking abortion pills while suffering from an ectopic pregnancy could result in masking the pain of a ruptured fallopian tube.
3. Assessing Your Health History Can Prevent Issues
The abortion pill is not an option for everyone. There are certain health conditions that could make the drugs unsafe, such as having certain heart or blood vessel diseases, bleeding disorders, or severe kidney, liver, or lung diseases.
It’s also not an option for those with allergies to the drugs, who have an IUD currently in place, or who take blood thinners. Talking with a medical professional about your health history can help you avoid preventable issues.
Additionally, if you have an existing STD like chlamydia or gonorrhea, there’s a chance it could spread further into your reproductive system during an abortion.
Left untreated, these STDs can progress into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to reproductive damage and other complications like chronic pelvic pain.
It’s best to get tested for STDs before moving forward with any type of abortion.
4. Follow up Care is Vital
When receiving pills from an online source you won’t have access to good follow up care. Did the abortion pills work the way you expected? Do you have an infection? Are you bleeding too much? Do you have other complications?
Attempting an abortion at home can come with serious, and potentially tragic, side effects. It is important that you have access to medical professionals who you can reach out to if you start to have concerning symptoms.
Visit Alpha Omega Center
Alpha Omega Center offers free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing, and more. We can confirm your pregnancy and be a resource as you navigate your options.
Schedule a confidential appointment at a time that works best for you. We’re here to help.
