If you’ve been searching online for abortion options, you’ve probably seen terms like “online abortion,” “abortion pill online,” “mail-order abortion pills,” or “at-home abortion.” These options are often advertised as fast, convenient, and private, but you may still be wondering: Is this actually safe for me?
At Crystal Women’s Clinic in the Twin Cities, every woman deserves accurate, complete information before making a decision about abortion, adoption, or parenting.
Before you order the abortion pill online, you can confirm your pregnancy and get no-cost pre-abortion testing to better understand your health and your options.
Schedule a free, confidential appointment today to talk with a nurse and get answers to your questions about online abortion and the abortion pill.
When people talk about an “online abortion” or “at-home abortion,” they are usually referring to getting abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) through a telehealth provider or a mail-order service, sometimes from out-of-state or international sources, and then taking them at home without an in-person exam.
This two-drug combination is FDA-approved to end an early pregnancy up to 10-weeks gestation when used under proper medical supervision. However, using the abortion pill safely requires several medical safeguards that many online or overseas services do not provide.
Because this process happens outside of a clinic, it’s especially important to know how far along you are, where the pregnancy is located, and whether you have any underlying health issues before taking the pills.
If you skip in-person testing and only rely on an online questionnaire, you may miss important information about your health and pregnancy.
Without an ultrasound, there is no way to accurately confirm how far along you are, even if you are tracking your periods. If you take abortion pills beyond 10 weeks, the risks increase for the abortion pills not working completely, heavier bleeding and stronger cramping, and a higher chance of needing a surgical procedure to complete the abortion.
An ultrasound is also the only way to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, which happens when the embryo implants outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube.
Abortion pills cannot treat an ectopic pregnancy. If an ectopic pregnancy is left undetected, it can become a life-threatening emergency due to internal bleeding.
An incomplete abortion happens when some pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus after taking the abortion pills. This can lead to ongoing or heavy bleeding, infection, and the need for follow-up procedures.
Knowing what is normal and what is not normal after taking the abortion pill can be confusing, especially if you are alone or don’t have medical support.
When abortion pills are obtained from unregulated online sources, especially overseas pharmacies, there is no guarantee that you received the correct medication, the dosage is accurate, or the drug has been stored and shipped properly.
This uncertainty can increase your risk of complications, incomplete abortion, or unexpected side effects.
If something doesn’t feel right during an at-home abortion and you’re not sure who to call, you may delay getting care. Waiting too long can make a treatable complication much more serious.
This is why it’s helpful to have:
Whether you are considering abortion, adoption, or continuing the pregnancy, it’s important to protect your health first.
Before using the abortion pill at home or ordering abortion pills online, protecting your safety typically includes:
These steps are often skipped with online-only abortion services, but they are an important part of protecting your safety, no matter what you decide.
At Crystal Women’s Clinic in the Minneapolis area, free, confidential services are available to help women get the information they need before making a decision.
Services include:
Because Crystal Women’s Clinic is pro-woman, the clinic does not provide or refer for abortion services, but it does provide the pre-abortion testing and information many women are looking for before choosing what to do next.
If you’re considering ordering the abortion pill online or having an at-home abortion, you do not have to figure everything out alone.
Before you decide:
These pre-abortion testing services are completely free and confidential at Crystal Women’s Clinic.
Contact Crystal Women’s Clinic today to schedule a no-cost, confidential appointment and get the information you need before you order abortion pills online or take the abortion pill at home.
We provide our services without discrimination to people of any age, race, income, nationality, religious affiliation, disability, or other arbitrary circumstances. Because we are pro-woman, we do not provide or refer for abortion services. We provide all of our services for free.
