During the past few years, websites for purchasing abortion pills via the internet have sprung up. Currently, it’s illegal for anyone living in the United States to receive abortion drugs through an internet site. However, a group of researchers conducted a study a few years ago by which they obtained abortion medication and published the results last fall.
Here are some of the findings they reported:
- They ordered 22 products: 20 mifepristone-misoprostol combination and two that contained only misoprostol. They received 18 combination products and the two that contained only misoprostol from 16 different sites.
- Chemical analysis of the medications found that the 18 tablets labeled 200 mg mifepristone contained between 184.3 mg and 204.1 mg mifepristone, and the 20 tablets labeled 200 mcg misoprostol contained as little as 34.1 mcg up to 201.4 mcg of the medication.
- None of the websites required a prescription or any medical documents. Two required completion of an online medical history questionnaire, however, none of the questions asked about gestational age of the unborn.
- The products came in blister-packs. According to the researchers’ report, “eight mifepristone-misoprostol products, all from the same manufacturer, had pinprick-sized holes in each of the five blisters, and the foil blister was indented. One product, which contained only misoprostol pills, arrived damaged: 11 of the 20 blisters split open and some of the pills were broken
- None of the products came with written communication or instructions on how to use the product.
Safety Concerns
This study raises many red flags, first and foremost of which is safety for the person trying to use abortion pills without a doctor’s oversight. Another study, published in 2015, reviewed 128 abortion cases in which 40 patients had taken abortion pills without a doctor’s supervision. These researchers found that about 30 percent had taken the pills when they were farther along than they thought. Results were frightening: “62.5% of the patients were found to have [an] incomplete abortion, 22.5% had failed abortion[s] and 7.5% of patients had incomplete abortion with sepsis.” Surgical procedures were performed on 67.5% of the patients and 12.5% of the patients required surgery with blood transfusions.
Women who are not under the care of a physician when taking abortion medication are putting their lives at risk. If you’re guessing about your menstrual cycle, you could be off a few weeks as were many women in the above-mentioned study. Ovulation can vary from woman to woman and may change each month for women with irregular cycles; also, many women don’t really remember when their last period was and just guess. An ultrasound provides more accurate pregnancy dating. Medical abortions, those involving taking the abortion pills, are done during the early stage of pregnancy (10 weeks or less). If you’re further along than you think, even off a week or two, taking the abortion pills will not be effective and you could harm yourself and your future ability to have children. Additionally, if you have an ectopic pregnancy and don’t know it, you’re at risk of losing your life. Ultrasound can reveal an ectopic pregnancy; although these are rare, True Care nurses have discovered a few during the past couple of years.
Another concern brought to light by this study is that not all of the products contained the amount of medication advertised. You think you’ve ordered one thing but receive something else – in other words, quality control and truth in advertising aren’t priorities for some of these companies. Additionally, without proper instructions on how to use the medication, a woman may take the wrong medication first and/or not understand what to expect and when to get help.
Contact True Care for an Appointment
Therefore, for the sake of your health today and in the future, if you’re considering abortion, don’t be tempted to order pills online. You can be arrested for the breaking the law, but most importantly, your safety is vital. True Care in Casper, Wyoming offers medical services free of charge, including ultrasound so that you know for sure how far along you are. This information is critical because it determines the type of abortion procedure you would qualify for. Contact us today to schedule your free pre-termination medical appointment by calling or texting 307-215-9684.