Understanding how any medications or drugs function is essential in protecting your health. You wouldn’t want to ingest anything without understanding what it does. The abortion pill (medical abortion) and Plan B are no different.
Some people believe these drugs are the same, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Crossroads Life Center wants you to have the information you need before you make any health-related decision.
What Does the Abortion Pill Do?
The abortion pill or medical abortion uses two drugs to end a pregnancy. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, and misoprostol causes uterine contractions that expel the pregnancy and related tissue from the uterus.
Typically, abortion pill drugs are prescribed by a medical provider. You take mifepristone at the clinic or doctor’s office and take misoprostol at home 24-48 hours after the first drug.
While it’s true that women may have multiple abortions, this does not mean the abortion pill is a form of birth control. Birth control is intended to prevent fertilization, while abortion ends an existing pregnancy.
Mifepristone, the first drug, is FDA-approved through ten weeks gestation. When you take abortion pill drugs, you’ll experience abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding. Some women also experience risks like infection.
How Plan B Works
Plan B, or the “morning-after pill,” is used within 72 hours of sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.
The pill works by delaying or preventing ovulation. This means that an egg is not released from the ovary. Research does not support that it affects a fertilized egg’s implantation, so it does not end a pregnancy and therefore isn’t an abortion method.
This drug is usually found in pharmacies. It’s not 100% effective, so a pregnancy could still occur.
Common side effects of Plan B include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Breast tenderness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Lower abdominal pain or cramps
- Bleeding between periods or heavier menstrual periods
Unexpected Pregnancy?
Crossroads Life Center doesn’t provide abortion services or birth control for those wishing to prevent pregnancy. But if you have an unexpected pregnancy, we’re committed to your care by providing valuable options information.
Contact us today to schedule a no-cost, confidential appointment.