In most cases, when an unplanned or a complicated pregnancy is experienced, women opt to use medical abortion as a way of terminating the pregnancy in its initial stages.

Medical abortion also known as medical management is the use of medication to end the pregnancy.

It is important that women should be aware of the pros as well as the cons of medical abortion so that they can be in a position to make the right decision that benefits them most.

In this blog, Mykare Health will describe what is a medical abortion, its benefits, and its risks and complications.

What Is Medical Abortion?

This is a type of abortion that is more of a medication kind of procedure that helps in the termination of the pregnancy. It may be done in the first trimester of pregnancy or up to 10 weeks of amenorrhea.

Mifepristone and misoprostol are the most preferred drugs that are used in a medical abortion.

Mifepristone has the ability to counteract the hormone called progesterone that is required for the continuance of pregnancy. Without this hormone the lining of the uterus begins to degrade and the pregnancy cannot continue to develop any further.

This is followed by Misoprostol which is normally administered after 24-48 hours of the administration of Mifepristone.

It has a tendency of stimulating the uterus to contract resulting in expulsion of the pregnancy.

Medical abortion should not be confused with surgical abortion which is a medical procedure that is done by a doctor.

It is a non-surgical one which enables women to conduct the process at the comfort of their home with the assistance of a physician.

Benefits of Medical Abortion

Here in below are some reasons as to why medical abortion is preferred most by the ladies especially during the initial stages of pregnancy; Here are some key benefits

• Noninvasive and Private : The medical abortion has been established to have a number of merits and one of which is that it is non invasive. Medical abortion is different from the surgical where physical intervention through the use of instruments or surgery is employed; instead of which, one has to take a potion that brings about a miscarriage. This makes it possible for women to handle the abortion situation right from the comfort of their homes since this can be emotionally comforting to many of them.

• Early Option : Medical abortion is done at the early stages of pregnancy, that is within the first ten weeks of pregnancy. It can be done early and thus women can decide on how they wish to handle their pregnancy without necessarily being pressured by some arising complications. To women who get a positive status on their pregnancy tests and choose to opt out, medical abortion comes in handy.

• High Success Rate : In medical abortion the effectiveness is very high. Mifepristone and misoprostol when taken according to the doctor’s prescription are 95-98% effective in ending early pregnancies. If this does not come to pass, then a surgical abortion may still be performed; however, the pills do their job most of the time.

• Safer Alternative : From the implications of the study it is evident that medical abortion in the initial stages of pregnancy pose few risks and complications as compared to the later stage abortion.

Multiple research shows that the probability of any complications is rather low and is below 1%. These are usually over the counter and side effects of the medication include stomach ache and bleeding which is similar to a period.

• Emotional Control : Some women like it because it affords them more decision-making abilities during the abortion process. This can be carried out at home mostly with the assistance of a partner, friend or a family member.

The feeling of terminating a pregnancy might be even more intimate compared to the actual procedure a woman has to go through in a clinic or a hospital.

Risks and Side Effects

The following is the risks and side effects which are associated with the use of medical abortion

• Pain and Cramping : The simplest or the most frequent form of side effect associated with the Medical abortion is pain and cramping. Due to the ability of misoprostol to contract the uterus and hence expel the pregnancy, there should be cramping. Most of the time, the cramping is quite tolerable, and can be relieved with over the counter medications like ibuprofen; however it may be severe for some.

• Heavy Bleeding : One of the side effects of abortions is excessive bleeding which is a sign of the foetus removal. It is usually heavier than a normal menstrual period and may persist for several hours while thereafter, the woman may experience lighter bleeding that may last for one to two weeks. While heavy bleeding is normal, it is necessary to report any case whereby bleeding is so heavy that it soaks through more than two pads within an hour for several hours.

• Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhoea : The side effects of Misoprostol include gastrointestinal complications that only last for a while and they include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. These side effects are normally observed shortly after consuming the drug and normally last for a few hours; nevertheless, they increase the total level of discomfort. Getting adequate water intake and adequate rest are major ways that can assist in reduction of such symptoms.

• Incomplete Abortion : As with any medical abortion, there is a small possibility that some pregnancy tissue will still be left in the uterus. This is true in approximately one quarter of patients. If this occurs, some sort of post-viability visit to a healthcare provider may be required to lesbian abortion, maybe with the help of a surgical one.

• Emotional Impact : Medical abortion as a medical process is safe, but if one has to judge by my experience, it is not emotionless. Women feel happy, sigh with relief, others may feel sad, guilty or become anxious afterwards. One needs someone to turn to for emotional support. This can be anyone within the family or a close friend or even a counsellor to help solve them.

• Rare Complications : Minor side effects are few and far between but severe repercussions comprise of infection and, or allergic reactions to the administered medicine.

Which Women Should Not Take Medical Abortion?

This is because medical abortion may not be suitable for everyone. It is also noteworthy that there are several contraindications to this surgery. Women who have the following conditions should consult with their healthcare provider before considering medical abortion

• Ectopic pregnancy (where the pregnancy is outside the uterus).

• Severe anaemia

• Other serious illnesses such as poorly controlled diabetes or hypertension

• Aftercare and Recovery

After a medical abortion, a woman should allow her body to rest for some time both physically and emotionally. A woman can get back to her daily routine within a few days after having the operations, although, for a while, she may feel weak.

Rest and putting up a strong support base helps a person in the process of regaining his or her health.

A checkup with your doctor is also important to ensure that the abortion is successful, and there are no adverse effects. Your provider can also help explain your birth control choices if you do not wish to get pregnant in future.