Abortion pill - RU486 (mifepristone)
Medical (non-surgical) abortion offers an alternative to surgery for women in the early weeks of
pregnancy. The most well-known method of medical abortion uses mifepristone in combination
with another drug, misoprostol, to end a pregnancy up to nine weeks. Mifepristone is also known
as RU486 or the ‘abortion pill’.
Medical abortion is a low-risk, non-invasive way to terminate (end) a pregnancy. The success rate
is up to 98 per cent, which is only slightly lower than that of surgical abortion. Mifepristone is also
used to treat a range of medical conditions, including endometriosis and cancer of the uterus
(womb).
Medical abortion explained
Medical abortion involves using medication instead of surgery to end a pregnancy. It can be done
as soon as pregnancy is detected and the gestational sac is identified. In Australia, a woman must
be less than nine weeks pregnant and in good health to have a medical abortion.
Before you can have a medical abortion, you will need to:
•
Have an ultrasound to check the stage of your pregnancy
•
Talk with a nurse or counsellor
•
See a doctor who will also ask about your medical history.
The most well known form of medical abortion uses mifepristone. Some alternative methods might
be available and your doctor can talk about these with you if needed.
The procedure for medical abortion
A pregnancy needs high levels of the hormone progesterone to continue. Mifepristone works by
blocking the action of progesterone to cause a miscarriage early in the pregnancy.
If your doctor decides that medical abortion is right for you and you decide to have the procedure,
you will be asked to sign a consent form. You will then:
•
Take a tablet of mifepristone at the clinic
•
Go home and 24 to 28 hours later, take the second dose of tablets either orally or by
inserting it in the vagina (this dose contains the drug misoprostol to soften the cervix and
help the uterus contract and expel the pregnancy)
•
Have stomach cramps that feel like a painful period.
The pregnancy will usually terminate within four to 24 hours. You will then:
•
Go back to the clinic in two weeks for a follow-up appointment to make sure the pregnancy
has ended (this might involve blood tests or an ultrasound)
•
Have telephone contact with the clinic throughout the procedure in case you have any
questions or concerns.
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