Abortion Pill

Abortion Pill

Quality Compassionate Reproductive Health Care Personalized to Fit Your Needs

What is the Abortion Pill?

The Abortion Pill, also called RU-486, uses two kinds of of medication (mifepristone and misoprostol) to induce an abortion privately, safely and effectively in your own home. The abortion pill can be taken in early pregnancy, and is an alternative to the in-office abortion procedure.

How Does the Abortion Pill Work?

Mifepristone is used with another prescription medicine called misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy, up to 11.0 weeks. Mifepristone is a pill that blocks progesterone, a hormone produced naturally by a woman’s body that helps maintain pregnancy.

Misoprostol is taken 24-48 hours after the mifepristone. Misoprostol tells the muscles of the uterus to cramp, and softens the cervix so that the pregnancy tissue can pass.

Day 1

An ultrasound, lab work, and evaluation are performed in the office by our medical staff. The first pill, mifepristone, is taken in the office. You will leave with instructions for completing the process at home.

Birth control options will also be discussed and provided at this office visit if you want. You can become pregnant again right after having an abortion.

Day 2 & 3

24-48 hours later you will take the second medication, misoprostol, at home. You may be given two doses of this medication to take at home, 4 hours apart. This can help make the medication abortion more effective sometimes.

After taking this medication, you will have bleeding and strong cramping while you pass the pregnancy. You may also have nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Plan to stay home for 12-24 hours.

Follow up

3-4 days after your office visit we will text you a reminder to do a self-assessment. If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these questions, you must call our office. In 5 weeks you will take a pregnancy test.

If you or we are concerned that the medications did not work or if your pregnancy test is still positive 5 weeks later, you should return to our office as soon as possible. You may still be pregnant.

Who can take the abortion pill?

You should not use medication to induce an abortion if you:

• Are more than 77 days pregnant (11.0 weeks).
• Have an IUD in your uterus (the medication can be taken after the IUD is removed).
• Have been told by your healthcare provider that you have a pregnancy outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy).
• Have problems with your adrenal glands (chronic adrenal failure).
• Take a medicine to thin your blood or have a bleeding problem.
• Have porphyria.
• Take certain steroid medicines.
• Are allergic to mifepristone, misoprostol, or medicines that contain misoprostol, such as Cytotec or Arthrotec.

What will happen during my appointment?

When you arrive at the office you will:

• Complete paperwork
• Have your vital signs taken and a small blood sample collected
• Be examined by a health care professional, including a physical exam, transvaginal (internal) ultrasound, and you will have a conversation about your health history and birth control options
• Have a chance to ask questions and decide if this is the best option for you
• Sign consent forms
• Take the first medication, mifepristone
• Make a plan how to take the rest of your medications and complete the abortion at home
• Talk about your follow up plan, including how to do a self-assessment, the best way for us to contact you, and what to do if you are worried that you are still pregnant after taking your medications

Is the abortion pill safe?

The abortion pill procedure is extremely safe and effective. According to the Guttmacher Institute, first trimester abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with a less than 0.5% rate of major complications.

The medication abortion is a completely noninvasive procedure, but all medical treatment comes with some risk, for that reason we ask you to contact us right away if:

• Have extremely heavy bleeding- hemorrhage is one risk with this procedure and in some rare cases, a surgical procedure is required to stop heavy uterine bleeding.
• Any signs of infection- Serious infection can occur in about 1 per 1,000 people who take this medication and death from infection occurs in less than 1 per 100,000 cases. If you develop flu-like symptoms including sluggishness, weakness or muscle aches with or without a fever it is very important that you call us immediately. It is also important for you to call us if you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea more than 24 hours after taking the misoprostol. We will give you antibiotics, to reduce the risk of infection. You can help prevent infection by taking your antibiotics as directed and by avoiding tampon use, sexual activity, douching, or placing anything in the vagina until your bleeding is lighter than your normal period.
• You have any signs of an allergic reaction such as a rash/swelling or if you have any other abnormal reactions to your medications.

FPA has a medical staff member on call 24 hours a day in case of an emergency. We can be reached at 1-866-849-1906.

Is the abortion pill effective?

Approximately 1.75 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide have chosen the Abortion Pill to end a pregnancy. It is effective approximately 91-98% of the time. How well the medication works can depend on how far along you are in the pregnancy.

8 weeks or less — Works about 98 out of 100 times the medication is taken

8-9 weeks — Works about 96 out of 100 times the medication is taken

9-10 weeks — Works about 91-93 out of 100 times the medication is taken, but if you take an extra dose of misoprostol it works 99 out of 100 times

10-11 weeks — Works about 87 out of 100 times the medication is taken, but if you take an extra does of misoprostol it works 98 out of 100 times

Misoprostol (or Cytotec) is a prostaglandin drug. It had previously received FDA approval for use in the prevention of ulcers in high-risk patients taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs.

Why do some patients choose to take the abortion pill?

Some patients feel more comfortable ending a pregnancy using medications.

This is a non-invasive procedure that feels more natural for some people. You can take the medications in the privacy of your home, at your convenience. Some patients have shared that they chose this process so that they could be with a spouse, partner, family member or trusted friend, for support.

The abortion pill procedure takes more time than an in-office procedure. It is important that you have 2-3 days set aside for the entire process.

The medication is not predictable. You should be comfortable going into the process not knowing exactly how your body will respond to the medications.

We are happy to discuss all of your options with you, and answer any questions that you have, so you have all of the information you need to make the best choice for you.

Schedule an Appointment

Prepare for Your Visit

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago | Downtown

312-707-8988
659 W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago IL  60661
Fax (312) 707-9223

Unfortunately, due to an extremely high volume of online appointment requests we are unable to schedule and confirm visits via email only right now. We must call and speak with you directly. We still encourage you complete the online appointment request so that we can enter your information into our scheduling system. Demand for our services has increased significantly since the Supreme Court decision was announce on June 24th and nearly every state around us began limiting abortion access. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

What date did your period start?

Please provide any information you have regarding the length of your pregnancy.

We will contact you by phone, text or email about your insurance coverage for the procedure you have requested. Keep in mind that you may be responsible for some payment if your insurance requires you to pay a deductible, copay or co-insurance amount. If you have an HMO insurance plan, you will need to get a written referral from your doctor. Please contact our insurance staff if you are having a hard time getting a referral for care from your physician.
Please provide your Illinois Medicaid Recipient ID so we can check your coverage, before your visit. If you are currently enrolled in Illinois Medicaid please bring in your picture ID and Medicaid card and we will be able to provide abortion care for you at NO COST. You will not have to pay anything for care related to your abortion including sedation, medications, lab testing, ultrasound, or RhoGAM if you have a negative blood type. You can also email the document(s) to FPA before your visit. The email address is: medicaid@fpachicago.com. For more information click here.
We have reduced fees for patients who are uninsured. You may be eligible for financial assistance. Please let us know if you need help with your payment. If you have already been in contact with an abortion fund, and they have pledged funds on your behalf, please let our staff know.  
If you have applied for Illinois Medicaid coverage or plan to apply, we can provide abortion services at no cost to you once your application is approved. If you have not applied for coverage yet, go to www.abe.illinois.gov to apply TODAY. Remember: 1. Say you are pregnant 2. Ask that your coverage begin at the first of this month, or earlier if you have any other past medical bills 3. DO NOT WAIT start your application today 4. Write down and save all of your login information Call 312-707-8988 with questions. If you need urgent coverage, you can visit a Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility Provider and leave their office with coverage. Most hospitals are MPE providers and Erie Family Health Center is an MPE provider. You can call them at 312-666-3494 or 847-666-3494 if you live in the suburbs of Chicago. Once you are approved – you pay nothing for abortion services. For more information, or to access a link to the website where you can apply for coverage, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Call us today to speak with our staff or schedule your appointment.

312-707-8988

What is the Abortion pill?

The abortion pill uses two medicines to cause a miscarriage and end a pregnancy. The medication abortion is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy, up to 77 days, in the privacy of your home.

This is a non-invasive procedure that feels more natural for some people. You can be with a spouse, partner, family member or trusted friend, for support with the medical abortion. Patients who want a less invasive procedure, prefer the medication abortion.

The first step involves an office visit, including an ultrasound, lab work and exam. Mifepristone ends the pregnancy. Pregnancies need a hormone called progesterone to grow and mifepristone stops your body from making this hormone.

Misoprostol helps your body pass the pregnancy and causes bleeding and strong cramping. 24-48 hours after your office visit you will take misoprostol and you must stay home for 12-24 hours.  During this time, should rest until your bleeding and cramping is light.

A few days later we will ask you to think about your body’s response to the medications and do a self-assessment. This assessment is a series of four questions about your experience.  If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these questions it is very important that you call us as soon as possible. You may need to return to the office to confirm that you are no longer pregnant.

Lastly, you will take a pregnancy test at home about five weeks later. We will give you a test to take home with you at your first visit in our office. If the test is negative you will know the medication abortion worked, and you are no longer pregnant. If your pregnancy test is positive five weeks after the abortion you may still be pregnant, or you may have become pregnant again. Call us immediately if this happens so we can schedule you for an office visit and additional treatment if needed.

Will it hurt?

The pain will be the worst after you take the second medication, the misoprostol at home. Cramps similar to heavy period cramps are common, and for some people the cramping and pressure can be very severe.

We will give you pain medication to help reduce your discomfort.

If you want to feel less cramping you can take one of the pain medications 30 minutes before taking the misoprostol. Take your pain medications on a regular schedule until your pain is gone or light. If you are not taking pain medication regularly, it will not help with your pain because it only works for 4-6 hours.

If you wait until you are in pain to take medications you will be in pain longer, because the pain medication takes time to start working.

Do not use any aspirin medications like Bayer, Excedrin, BC, or Goody’s. These medications can cause heavier bleeding sometimes.

Milder cramps, like period cramps or less, may last for a few weeks after you pass the pregnancy.

How will I know if the abortion worked?

You could have heavy bleeding and cramping and pass clots after taking the abortion pill, but still be pregnant. Sometimes the pregnancy will keep growing after you take the ‘abortion pill’. Sometimes the pregnancy will end, but not pass out of the body. If you do not have any bleeding within 24 hours of taking misoprostol at home, please call us. You know your body best, if you do not think the medication worked call us so we can scheduled you for a follow up visit in our office.

3-4 days later, we will ask you to think about your body’s response to the medications and do a self-assessment. This assessment is a set of four questions about your experience. If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these questions it is very important for you call us. You may have to return to the office to make sure that you are no longer pregnant.

5 weeks later you will take a pregnancy test at home. We will give you a test to take home with you when we give you your medications. If the test is negative you will know the medication abortion worked, and you are no longer pregnant. If your pregnancy test is positive five weeks after the abortion you may still be pregnant, your hormone levels may be falling slowly, or you may be pregnant again. Call us immediately if this happens so we can schedule you for an office visit and additional treatment if needed.

What if the pill doesn’t work?

The medication abortion does not work 100% of the time. After you take the abortion pill, we will ask you to do a few things to make sure that you are no longer pregnant.

3-4 days after you take the medication, we will text you a reminder to think about your body’s response to the medications. This self-assessment is four questions about your experience.  If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these questions it is important that you call us as soon as possible. You may need to come back to our office to make sure that you are no longer pregnant.

You will also take a pregnancy test at home about five weeks later. We will give you a test to take home with you at your first visit when we give you the medications. If the test is negative, no more follow up is needed. If your pregnancy test is positive five weeks after the abortion you may still be pregnant, your hormone levels may be going down slowly, or you may be pregnant again. Call us immediately if this happens so we can schedule you for an office visit and more treatment if needed.

If you are still pregnant after you take the abortion pill, you have two options usually. You can take more medicine if you are still less than 11.0 weeks pregnant or have an in-office abortion procedure as long as you are less than 24.0 weeks pregnant.

Occasionally, only some of the pregnancy tissue will pass. If this happens you could have heavy bleeding, develop an infection, or both. An in-office suction procedure (D&C), more medications, more tests or treatments could help to prevent these complications.

Sometimes clots in the uterus can cause cramping and pain in the belly and/or lower back. If this happens, you may need a suction procedure (D&C) or more medication to help pass the clots.

If the medication abortion does not work, you will not be asked to make any extra payments to FPA. You must return to our office if you think that you are still pregnant or if our staff ask you to come back because we think you may still be pregnant. If you need to go to another clinic or hospital to complete the abortion for medical reasons or because you are more than 24 weeks pregnant, you will be responsible for the cost of that care. For this reason, we encourage you to come back to our office as soon as possible if you have any concerns that the medication may not have worked.

If you know that it will be hard or impossible for you to come back to our office, the medication abortion may not be the best choice for you.

Can I exercise after taking the pill?

You can exercise the day after you take the second medication at home. You should not exercise if you feel like you have not passed the pregnancy.

After you exercise, if your bleeding increases stop exercising. If this happens you should be less active and do not exercise again until your bleeding is lighter.

How long will I bleed after taking the pill?

Your bleeding will be heaviest after you take the misoprostol at home on the second day. Your bleeding will change throughout the abortion process.

Until the pregnancy passes, the bleeding will usually be heavier than your normal period. You may see blood clots and pregnancy tissue pass.

Once the pregnancy has passed, the bleeding will start to slow down. You may bleed or spot for 4 to 6 weeks after the abortion. The bleeding can stop and start again many times.

Can I use tampons after taking the abortion pill?

When your bleeding has been light for 24 hours you can use a tampon instead of a pad.

How effective is the abortion pill?

Since 2020 more than half of abortions provided in the Unites States are done with medication instead of surgery.

The medication abortion works 87-99% of the time. How well the medication works depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy.

If you take the abortion pill when you are 8 weeks or less pregnant it works about 98 out of 100 times.

If you take the abortion pill when you are 8-9 weeks pregnant it works about 96 out of 100 times.

If you take the abortion pill when you are 9-10 weeks pregnant it works about 91-93 out of 100 times. But if you take an extra dose of misoprostol it works 99 out of 100 times.

If you take the abortion pill when you are 10-11 weeks pregnant it works about 87 out of 100 times. But if you take an extra dose of misoprostol it works 98 out of 100 times.

 

When can I return to school or work?

You will take the first medication, mifepristone, in our office on ‘day one’ after having an exam, ultrasound, lab work and signing consents. You can go to work, school or make other plans for the rest of that day. It is rare that you would start to bleed heavily or pass the pregnancy after taking the first medicine.

You should plan to be at home on ‘day two’ for at least 24 hours after taking the misoprostol (the second medication). Misoprostol helps your body pass the pregnancy by softening the cervix and causing the uterus to contract. You will have heavy bleeding, usually heavier than a period, and strong cramping. Because the bleeding and cramping is moderate to heavy for most women, you should not be at school or work while you are passing the pregnancy. In most cases you can return to work, school and your regular activities the next day.

If I can’t come back to FPA for my follow-up appointment, can I just see my doctor or take a home pregnancy test?

In person follow up visits are rarely needed, but can be very important.

3-4 days after you take the medication, we will ask you to think about your body’s response to the medications and do a self-assessment. This assessment is a set of four questions about your experience. If you answer ‘NO’ to any of these questions it is very important for you call us. You may have to return to the office to make sure that you are no longer pregnant. You know your body best, if you do not think the medication worked call us so we can schedule you for a follow up visit.

5 weeks later you will take a pregnancy test at home. We will give you a test to take home with you when we give you your medications. If the test is negative you will know the medication abortion worked, and you are no longer pregnant. If your pregnancy test is positive five weeks after the abortion you may still be pregnant, your hormone levels may be falling slowly, or you may be pregnant again. Call us immediately if this happens so we can schedule you for an office visit and additional treatment if needed.

If the medication abortion does not work, you will not be asked to make any extra payments to FPA. If you go to another clinic or hospital for evaluation or to complete the abortion, you will be responsible for the cost of that care. For this reason, we encourage you to come back to our office as soon as possible if you have any concerns that the medication may not have worked.

If you know that it will be hard or impossible for you to come back to our office, the medication abortion may not be the best choice for you.

Registration Forms

You can complete your registration forms before you arrive. Simply download, print and fill out the forms. Please use a black ink pen only. (Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)