How to use abortion pills

How to take the pills depends on how long you have been pregnant. Pregnancy is measured starting from the first day of the last menstrual period, not from the date of conception or sex.

HOW TO TAKE THE PILLS IF YOUR PREGNANCY IS LESS THAN 13 WEEKS:

Step 1: Swallow the 1 mifepristone pill (200mg) with water.

WAIT 24-48 HOURS BEFORE CONTINUING:

Step 2: 1 hour before you take misoprostol, take ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) 800mg (4 over-the-counter pills) or naproxen (Aleve) 440 mg (2 over-the-counter pills) by mouth. If you are allergic to ibuprofen, you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1000 mg by mouth instead.

Step 3: 24-48 hours after taking mifepristone and 1 hour after taking pain medication, take 4 misoprostol pills (total 800mcg). You can take misoprostol in different ways:

• In the mouth: Put 4 pills under your tongue, or between your cheeks and gums. Hold them there for 30 minutes or until they dissolve. After 30 minutes, swallow whatever remains of the pills.
• In the vagina: Insert 4 pills deep into the vagina and lie down for 30 minutes. This route is not recommended if you don’t want anyone to find out about the abortion, because pieces of the pills can be found in the vagina for several days.

Step 4: IF YOU ARE MORE THAN 9 WEEKS PREGNANT OR you have not yet started bleeding, take another 2 misoprostol pills (total 400mcg) 4 hours after the first misoprostol dose.

Step 5: Keep taking 2 misoprostol pills every 3 hours until all of the pregnancy tissue is out. On average, it takes around 3-5 rounds of misoprostol (or 6-10 hours), but some people will need more doses.

You will have some misoprostol pills left over after following these instructions. Do NOT throw them away. Keep them in case you have a problem later and we tell you to take them. 

For more information please go to the Question and Answers section or email our help desk at info@aidaccess.org