Abortion pill: drug abortion with the RU486 pill
The abortion pill, also known as RU486, is the type of drug abortion that is often used for an early termination of pregnancy. It is obviously used in cases of conception. It is a practice that, in Italy, today collects many adhesions:
- · When to take the pill?
- How does the abortion pill work?
- · Abortion pill: the cost and how to take it
- What happens during a drug abortion? The main symptoms
- · Advantages and disadvantages of the abortion pill
After two months, it will be necessary to resort to surgical abortion. What is the cost of the abortion pill, and when does it have to be taken for it to work?
See also
Can you get pregnant with the birth control pill?
When to take the pill?
The RU486 abortion pill must be taken within the first two months of pregnancy, once it is ascertained by the appropriate test. In reality, RU486 is only part of the pharmacological abortion, which uses two different drugs, Myfegine, which is the real and own RU 486, and a prostaglandin, taken two days after the first pill, which helps complete the abortion process within a week at most.
How does the abortion pill work?
As we said, pharmacological abortion uses the abortion pill and another drug. But how do they work? The RU486 abortion pill is based on the hormone mifepristone, which blocks the effects of progesterone, the female hormone that develops pregnancy. Basically it causes a detachment of the embryo nested in the uterus since conception. The second pill is a prostaglandin. The latter stimulates the contractions of the uterus, helping the expulsion of the last tissues that were developing during pregnancy. The abortion takes place within two days, through a bleeding that begins already after the administration of the abortion pill. The second pill helps, as we said, to complete the process, completely freeing the uterus. The entire abortion process lasts about a week / nine days, after which the cycle is slowly returned to normal. The drug abortion works in most cases, with a percentage between 92 and 99 percent.
Abortion pill: the cost and how to take it
The abortion pill costs around € 14 for a single pack (with one tablet), and € 42 for a pack of three tablets. However, the cost is borne by the National Health System, so it is free for the patient. The abortion pill must be taken under the supervision of the doctor, with a stay in a hospital or even in day hospital. Two days after the administration of RU486, the doctor monitors the patient and administers the second drug. The hospital stay must be guaranteed, even if it is not compulsory, and often the woman returns home after the administration of the drugs.
What Happens During a Drug Abortion? The main symptoms
After taking the pills, the woman experiences heavy bleeding, experiencing pain similar to menstruation. In addition to cramps, the woman may also feel nausea, headache, dizziness and general weakness. Sometimes blood loss can last from 14, 15, to 70 days. It is important not to confuse the abortion pill, which provides for a detachment of the embryo, from the so-called fertilization. The abortion pill is used after fertilization has already taken place, and is often also used as a form of therapeutic abortion, in the case of pregnancy at risk for the mother. or the child.
If you need more info, the book "Abortion. True and false reasons" by Enrico Pagano can be of great help, because it explains everything that surrounds this situation in a scientific and reasonable way. - Buy it for € 8.80.
Advantages and disadvantages of the abortion pill
Pharmacological abortion with abortion pill has advantages that should not be underestimated. Notwithstanding that it can be authorized by the doctor and taken within two months of pregnancy, it has characteristics that facilitate the experience of abortion. Let's see the main advantages compared to a surgical abortion:
- it is less invasive than an intervention
- the procedure is short, and even less physically demanding for the woman
- the woman is also helped psychologically, thanks to the speed of the process
- the abortion pill gives greater physical awareness, greater awareness, since it does not include anesthesia such as surgical abortion
The disadvantages, on the other hand, are related to the consequences and risks of using the abortion pill, such as:
- prolonged pain in the abdomen
- prolonged blood loss
- possible contraindications such as incomplete expulsion, which could lead to a surgical abortion with aspiration
"It should also be emphasized", writes Dr. Alessandra Graziottin, "that these effects can vary greatly from woman to woman based on the week of recruitment, the experience of the decision to abort and the overall emotional conditions".
For more helpful information on the abortion pill, you can view this BPAS publication.
