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If you are pregnant and you are considering at-home abortion using medications, some social media posts encourage women to take abortion pills immediately without further testing or evaluation. But should you take the abortion pill without any additional testing? This article will break down options and next steps to consider when deciding what is best to protect your health in the short- and long-term.
Are you actually pregnant?
Pregnancy signs include:
- Missed periods
- Fatigue
- Sensitive sense of smell
- Tender or swollen breasts
- Nausea
- Frequent urination
Some women may have no obvious signs when pregnant, particular in the earliest stages of pregnancy. These signs alone should not be used to confirm pregnancy, though.
How do I confirm a possible pregnancy?
At-home pregnancy tests can detect the hCG hormone that women’s bodies produce to support pregnancy, but they may not be as reliable as in-clinic pregnancy testing. At-home pregnancy tests also cannot accurately detect gestational age of pregnancy to help give you the most information possible to determine which options you have when facing an unexpected pregnancy. Before taking any medication such as an abortion pill, verifying the presence of pregnancy with a licensed medical professional can help you understand what next steps you may need to take to protect your own health. It is best to get pregnancy verification though two steps:
Unnecessary Risks with Medication
If you are not actually pregnant, taking an abortion pill, sometimes called a missed period pill, can cause some serious health risks including infection, heavy bleeding and possible hemorrhage, uterine rupture, incomplete abortion, blood clots, heart attacks, or cervical laceration to name a few.
Ultrasounds Offer Life-Saving Guidance
Seeing an experienced medical provider and getting an in-office ultrasound can help verify whether you are truly pregnant. This testing also locates the pregnancy and can determine if you have a pregnancy in the uterus or in another location–also known as an ectopic pregnancy–which is considered a medical emergency because the female body cannot support pregnancy outside the uterus and could lead to serious infection, hospitalization and death if not addressed quickly.
Why You Should Know Gestational Age
Ultrasound imaging can help identify the size and location of fetal development. Sonography is a low-risk procedure that does not involve any radiation exposure to you as the patient. This test is non-invasive and relatively quick, meaning you don’t have to spend half a day at a clinic or doctor’s office. The goal is simply to help you understand how far along pregnancy is if you are pregnant, and from there, experienced medical professionals can help you understand if abortion pills are even an option for you. Whether you choose to take an abortion pill or if you simply want more information so you can examine all your options, an ultrasound and a meeting with a licensed medical provider can help ensure your own health is prioritized and protected. Reviewing your own health history with an experienced provider helps you verify any health issues that you need to consider when choosing an option that is best for you.
Taking an abortion pill without an ultrasound may not be in your best interests because you may expose yourself to unnecessary risks if you are not truly pregnant. If pregnancy is more than 10 weeks along, these medications may be ineffective or may pose different risks than advertised.
Anchor of Hope offers free clinical information and office visits with ultrasound testing to verify pregnancy and to determine gestational age so you have all the information you need to make a choice that is right for you. Contact our experienced medical team for more information and to schedule an appointment.