Taking the abortion pill without an ultrasound first puts your life and health at risk. Get the facts before you skip this critical step so that you can take the best care of your health.
Proceeding without the ultrasound could lead to an undetected ectopic pregnancy, taking abortion pills when you are too far along in your pregnancy, or when your pregnancy has already ended.
Interested in a no-cost ultrasound scan? Find care near you. This is the best way to safeguard your health for the following reasons.
Reason 1: To Detect Ectopic Pregnancy
Most pregnancies implant inside the uterus, but in about 2% or 1 in 50 pregnancies, a pregnancy implants and grows in one of the fallopian tubes or outside the uterus in another location.
These types of pregnancies are non-viable because there is no current medical technology that can relocate the ectopic pregnancy. If a pregnancy grows in a place outside the uterus, it’s considered a medical emergency and must be treated with urgency.
The most significant health risk would be if the ectopic pregnancy ruptured a fallopian tube, leading to life-threatening internal bleeding.
When women take the abortion pill without an ultrasound, they are taking a serious, preventable risk. The abortion pill will cause vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping, making it seem like the pregnancy is over, when in reality an ectopic pregnancy continues to grow unchecked.
Reason 2: To Know Your Pregnancy’s Gestational Age
The abortion pill is only FDA-approved through ten weeks of pregnancy for safety reasons. As the pregnancy progresses, the drugs become less effective, leading to a greater chance of complications like incomplete abortion.
An incomplete abortion is serious and can lead to heavy and prolonged bleeding and infection.
While there is always a risk of incomplete abortion and complications whenever you take the abortion pill, taking the drugs at 11 weeks of gestation or more increases the chances.
Reason 3: To See if You Miscarried
A positive pregnancy test can occur even after you have had a miscarriage. This means that some women could take the abortion pill and go through the process even though their pregnancies have ended naturally.
Abortion drugs cause intense symptoms like heavy vaginal bleeding (blood clots up to the size of a lemon) and abdominal cramping. If women have already miscarried, expectant management or a different form of medical intervention would be more appropriate.
Get a Clear Picture of Your Pregnancy
Find local, confidential care near you for a no-cost ultrasound. You will learn your gestational age, estimated due date, location of your pregnancy, and whether or not your pregnancy is progressing or has miscarried.
All these details play a role in protecting your safety and determining your available options. Connect with a local ultrasound provider today and take control of your health.
