Planned Parenthood

Someone asked us:

Can planned parenthood have an abortion & then go back an undo the abortion?

There are 2 types of abortion — in-clinic abortion and medication abortion. Both are safe and effective ways to end a pregnancy. In-clinic abortions, sometimes called surgical abortions, are extremely effective. They work more than 99 out of every 100 times.

Medication abortion, sometimes called “the abortion pill,” is a combination of 2 medicines: mifepristone and misoprostol. The first medicine (mifepristone) is given at a health center or your nurse or doctor’s office. After taking mifepristone, you take a second medication (misoprostol) at home 6-48 hours later. This causes cramping and bleeding and empties your uterus.

Claims about treatments that reverse the effects of medication abortion are out there, and a handful of states require doctors and nurses to tell their patients about them before they can provide abortion care. But these claims haven’t been proven in reliable medical studies — nor have they been tested for safety, effectiveness, or the likelihood of side effects — so experts like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reject these untested supposed treatments.

Studies on the abortion pill do show that if you take the first medicine but not the second, the abortion pill is less likely to work. So if you’ve begun the process of having an abortion using the abortion pill but are having second thoughts, contact the doctor or nurse you saw for the abortion right away to talk about your best next steps and what to expect.

The important thing is to make sure you’re certain that having an abortion is what you want before beginning the process. If you have questions or are having doubts, make sure to address them with your doctor or nurse — they’re there as a resource to talk you through all of your pregnancy options.

-Chelsea @ Planned Parenthood