At Home Abortion

Why should I get an ultrasound and STD testing before doing an at-home abortion?

• You will need to know exactly how far along you are. The abortion pill is only approved for use through 70 days gestation (or 10 weeks from your last menstrual period). Irregular periods or inaccurate menstrual dating can cause a miscalculation of gestational age. The most accurate way to determine gestational age is through an ultrasound. Being off by even a few days may mean that the abortion pill might not work in terminating your pregnancy.
• You need to make sure it is an intrauterine pregnancy. The abortion pill is not effective in terminating an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that grows outside of the uterus – can be life-threatening if not treated). A positive pregnancy test does not tell you if you have an intrauterine pregnancy. We recommend you have an ultrasound done to confirm the location of the pregnancy before paying for an abortion pill.
• You need to make sure you don’t have an STD. Untreated STDs or infections can cause serious complications for those who have an abortion. We strongly recommend getting tested for STDs before undergoing an abortion.
• You should find out if it is even a viable pregnancy. 10-25% of known pregnancies are not viable and end naturally in miscarriage – usually within the first 13 weeks. Having a positive pregnancy test does not mean that you have a viable pregnancy that will carry to term. We recommend having an ultrasound to confirm viability before you pay for an abortion pill.