It is a common tactic among those who advocate chemical abortions, also known as medication abortions, to inform and reassure women that the two-drug technique is safe. However, they often fail to mention that the procedure can be extremely painful.
In a recent article for The 19th, Shefali Luthra provides a comprehensive overview of the various options available for pregnancy termination. She notes that medication abortion offers a safe and effective alternative, which can be taken at home.
In essence, this is what makes medication abortions so appealing. Furthermore, this assertion is demonstrably false. The use of chemical abortion carries a risk of causing genuine harm to women. Paul Stark, the Communications Director for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, wrote:
A large Finnish study found that chemical abortions caused ‘adverse events’ in 20 per cent of cases – almost four times the rate of immediate complications of early surgical abortions. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Chemical abortions take longer than surgical abortions. They cause more blood loss. They have a significant failure rate and can lead to infection. And in some cases, they mask the presence of a deadly ectopic pregnancy, because the expected symptoms are very similar.
The FDA reports 26 deaths of women in the US (and thousands of other complications) related to chemical abortion, and inadequate US reporting requirements mean that some complications go unreported.
However, it is important to note that Luthra does address the significant pain many women experience.
[Salazar took the pills and her pregnancy was terminated. Years later, she has no regrets. She just wishes someone had warned her about the “intense pain” she would feel.
“I was not prepared for how much pain I was going to have,” Salazar said. “I went through a lot of physical pain. I was nauseous all the time.”
And then
Subsequent to her ingestion of the pharmaceutical agent, the subject experienced the onset of abdominal cramping. Despite her awareness of the necessity to urinate, Emma was unable to walk due to the severity of the pain. Her partner was obliged to return in order to physically guide her to the toilet.
Two hours after the onset of the symptoms, she assumed that the worst was over. A week and a half later, however, she still experienced nausea and a profound sense of fatigue. Subsequently, she conducted another pregnancy test. The test result remained positive.
And then
Nevertheless, even if the medication is deemed safe, each patient may experience the effects differently. For some patients, the pain is similar to that experienced during a menstrual cycle. For others, the pain can be excruciating and difficult to manage without the support of a nurse or doctor. Some patients will even seek emergency care in order to ascertain the nature of their condition. …
And then
“There is considerable bleeding and cramping, and some women become distressed. “It is a completely natural response,” stated Ushma Upadhyay, an associate professor at the University of California San Francisco who has conducted research on self-managed abortion. “When there is such copious bleeding, it is important to ensure that everything is proceeding as expected.”
Finally,
“It’s extremely difficult,” said Emma in Texas, who has had several medication abortions. She gave only her first name because Texas law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. “It will become more and more the only option for people in certain communities. We want people not to be so afraid of the pain that they carry on with an unwanted pregnancy. But we want to be realistic about what they will experience.
There are accounts of women purchasing abortion pills from overseas. It is evident that these women are unaware of the potential dangers associated with these drugs. Furthermore, there is a growing trend of women taking medication abortion pills outside the healthcare system, which is likely to become more common in a post-Roe world.
It’s still safe and effective. But those medical supports – a doctor’s advice, prescription painkillers if needed, and the prospect of emergency care if needed – are harder to come by, although there are anonymous medical hotlines for people who use medication abortion on their own.
From these accounts, we can conclude that it is of the utmost importance for women to meet the abortionist in person, a precaution that these women took great pains to avoid.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
