Frequently Asked Questions

How can I order pills from Las Libres?

How do I find out information on my delivery?

What should I know before starting a medication abortion?

How do I contact my personal Support Team member? 

The contact information for your personal support person was included in the email confirming that your request had been received. To reach her, you’ll need to use Signal—a secure text messaging app that only accepts texts from other Signal users.  

 

If you don’t already have the free Signal app:

• Download the app to your phone by going to signal.org/download   

• Once it's installed, go to Chats, click on the pencil in the upper right-hand corner, select find by username, and enter your support person's username. 

 

What other resources are there if I can’t get on Signal?  

For information about the abortion process, you can text or call the Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline at 833-246-2632 or through mahotline.org

• Hours are 8 am-11pm, 7 days a week in all time zones in the United States

• They’ll respond within one hour

 

Are the abortion pills safe?

The medications are safer than Tylenol for most people.  In fact, it’s safer to have an abortion than to carry a pregnancy to full term. An abortion will not affect your future fertility and you will never have to tell anyone (even your health care providers) that you took them.

 

Are there people who should not take abortion pills?

If you are currently taking a blood thinner (Coumadin, Eliquis, Plavix, Brilinta, Effient, Pradaxa or Savaysa) you should not take the abortion pills.

 

Can I breast feed while taking the abortion medications?

Yes, you can. The medications will show up in breast milk, but in very small amounts that are safe for nursing infants.

 

What if I'm Rh negative?

 

If you have Rh negative blood type and you're over 11 weeks pregnant, you must follow up with a provider to receive a RhoGAM shot within 72 hours after the abortion is complete. You can get this at your local ER or OB provider. Don't tell them you had an abortion: instead say you had a miscarriage after a positive pregnacy test. 

 

If you are Rh negative and fewer than 11 weeks pregnant at the time of your abortion, a RhoGAM shot is not necessary. 

How does a medication abortion work?

A medication abortion uses two kinds of pills to end a pregnancy:

• Mifepristone stops the pregnancy hormone that supports the growing embryo or fetus--used in Step 1 of the process.

• Misoprostol completes the abortion by making the uterus contract and expel its contents—used in Steps 2 and 3 of the process.

Mifepristone and misoprostol have been proven to be safe and highly effective for home use in self-managed abortions. They are 95% to 98% effective in ending a pregnancy. The effects of this method of abortion include painful cramping and prolonged menstrual-like bleeding. Common side effects may also include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The risk of serious complications is extremely low.

 

What will happen after I take the abortion pills?

After taking mifepristone (the single pill swallowed in Step 1), most people will not experience extreme symptoms or side effects.  There may be mild bleeding or cramping before you start Step 2—but not necessarily.   

 

Once you take the misoprostol pills in Step 2, you can expect bleeding and cramping to start 30 minutes to several hours later.  Nausea, diarrhea, a slight fever, chills, and tiredness are normal side effects and should go away in a couple of hours after taking the second medication.

 

Most people are able to resume normal activities within 24 hours of taking the misoprostol pills.

 

How do I know if my level of cramping and pain is normal?

Pelvic pain and cramping is likely to be your first symptom after taking the pills in Step 2.  It can be quite severe, keep you from your regular activities, and last for 24 to 48 hours.  You can usually control the pain with 600 to 800 mg of ibuprofen, repeated every 6 to 8 hours. A heating pad can also help with pain.

 

WARNING:  If medication is not helping to control your pelvic pain after 24 hours, contact your support person.

 

How do I know if my level of bleeding is normal?

It’s normal to have bleeding like or heavier than your period. You will pass blood clots and tissue, and it may continue for 24 hours or more.

 

WARNING: If you soak more than 2 overnight pads per hour for 2 hours, contact your support person. Take 800 mg ibuprofen (this helps to slow down your bleeding); then lie down and massage your lower abdomen.

 

What if I do not have any bleeding?

You should also contact your support person if you don’t have bleeding that’s like a period or heavier within 24 hours after taking your final dose of misoprostol.

 

The abortion pills will not work if you have an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus- usually in the fallopian tubes). Ectopic pregnancies are rare but if you now have an IUD, if you have a history of previous ectopic pregnancy or tubal surgery, you are at an increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Contact your support person if you have not had bleeding 24 hours after taking the abortion pills. An untreated ectopic pregnancy can have serious complications.

 

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are:

• Pelvic pain greater on one side
• Dizziness or fainting
• Shoulder pain

• Rectal pressure     

 

How do I know if my level of fever is normal?

Running a fever is normal and can usually be controlled by taking Tylenol or acetaminophen.   

 

WARNING: Contact your support person if you have a fever greater than 100.4 degrees that lasts more than 24 hours, even after taking fever medication (Tylenol or acetaminophen).

 

What if I vomit while I’m taking the mifepristone or misoprostol?

You don’t need to worry if you vomit after taking the mifepristone (Step 1) if it’s more than 30 minutes after you took it, or the pill is not visible in the vomit. You will have absorbed enough for it to be effective. If the pill is visible, contact your support person.

 

If you vomit while the misoprostol pills (Step 2) are dissolving in your mouth or after you swallow them, you should still complete all of the steps as directed. As long as the misoprostol was in your mouth for a minimum of 15 minutes, you will have absorbed enough for it to be effective. If fewer than 15 minutes, contact your support person.

 

Do I need to take all of the misoprostol if I start bleeding like I have a period before completing all the doses?

Yes, it’s important to follow all the steps outlined in the instructions for a self-managed abortion to ensure that the pregnancy is passed.

 

What if I go to the emergency room or see a medical provider?

Tell all intake and medical staff that you think you’re having a miscarriage.  Do not reveal that you took abortion medications—there is absolutely no way for them to know.  The pills will not show up in blood tests or scans. ER staff can provide the appropriate post-miscarriage medical care without knowing that you took pills. This also applies to interactions or consultation with your doctor or gynecologist: there is no need to tell them that your miscarriage was self-induced.

 

To be on the safe side, you should erase messages and emails about your abortion from your phone.

How do I know the pills worked?

Medical abortions are 95% to 98% effective, and most women can tell when the abortion is complete. If you have had cramping and bleeding like a period or heavier, and you’ve passed blood clots or tissue, you have most likely completed the abortion.

 

You may or may not see pregnancy tissue or an embryo in the blood. The size of the embryo for a 6- to 7-week pregnancy is 1/4 to 1/2 inches; it will be about an inch for a 9-week pregnancy. You don’t need to see this, however, in order to know you have completed your abortion.

It’s also a sign that your abortion is completed if your pregnancy symptoms (breast tenderness, nausea, or frequent urinating) are decreasing.

 

It’s not uncommon to have bleeding, cramping or passing tissue for several weeks after your abortion, until your next period in 4-8 weeks.This does not indicate a problem (although it is annoying!).   We recommend you take ibuprofen 600-800 mg three times a day for 2-3 days to help reduce the bleeding -it’s not just for cramps! Contact your support person if you have questions about persistent bleeding.

 

When can I take a pregnancy test to make sure the pills worked?

A home pregnancy test can be done 4 to 6 weeks after your abortion. Because it takes some time for pregnancy hormones to decrease after an abortion, doing a test sooner than that may result in a false positive (meaning it may show you’re pregnant when you aren’t).  

 

When will I get my next period?

You can expect to get your period 4 to 8 weeks after your abortion. Your next period may be heavier than usual, and that’s normal.

 

What should I do if my breasts start leaking after the abortion is complete?

This is not unusual.  If it happens, don’t touch them or stimulate them in any way, as this may cause them to fill with milk and become extremely painful.

 

How soon can I get pregnant again after an abortion?

You can resume sexual activity when you’re ready. Be aware, however, that you can get pregnant right away, so you should start birth control as soon as possible. You can start the pill or get an implant, patch, ring, or shot a day or two later. You can get an IUD a week or two after the heavy bleeding ends.

 

Most clinics will do a pregnancy test before inserting an IUD or implant. Because you can still test positive for pregnancy 4 to 6 weeks after an abortion (see FAQ above), tell them you recently had a miscarriage. They can then do an ultrasound, which will confirm that you’re not pregnant.

 

If you wait more than a week after aborting to start a birth control method with hormones (the pill, the patch, the ring, an implant, or the hormonal IUD), you must wait to have sex or use a back-up method (like condoms or internal condoms) for the first 7 days after starting it.

 

For information on contraception:

• Contact your personal support person or your local health department.
• Download the free Euki app — https://eukiapp.com/.  Note: This app covers all aspects of sexual health and is extremely careful about your security and privacy.
• Go to https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ to find the closest family planning clinic.

I had unprotected sex.  Can I prevent pregnancy and avoid a future abortion?

You may be able to prevent pregnancy by using emergency contraception (EC) as soon as possible after unprotected sex.  Most methods rely on so-called morning-after pills, which are legal in all 50 states: many brands are available in pharmacies and don’t require a prescription. EC can be taken up to three to five days after having sex, depending on which type you use. Inserting an IUD within five days is another very effective form of EC.

 

Note that emergency contraception pills will neither abort nor harm an established pregnancy.

 

The following websites explain everything you need to know about EC and how to get it:

 

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/emergency-contraception

 

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception/which-kind-emergency-contraception-should-i-use

 

https://www.verywellhealth.com/where-to-get-the-morning-after-pill-906843