Abortion Pills In India

So you want to know everything there is to know about abortion pills in India? This guide will help you with being informed and understanding everything from the names of these pills to the precautions and risks involved.

Let’s get one thing out of the way at first – no one likes to be in this situation. If you are contemplating aborting the fetus, then it is safe to assume that you are not prepared for a pregnancy and everything else that comes with it.

We are not here to judge you, in fact, we are here to empower you with information. Feel free to ask about any queries and for advice in the comments located at the end of this page.

Let us try to understand the significance of such a medical abortion pill before proceeding. The medicine employed here is known as mifepristone. There are two components for this method to be successful – after the first pill has been consumed, the second one needs to be taken within a stipulated time period.

This compound is known as RU486 in the United States, which is also how it is recognized here in India. The second drug, called Misoprostal, is usually administered 2 days after the first.

Having been introduced in France in the early 1990s, it was only on 28th September, 2000 that it was finally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and introduced in wide circulation in the American markets, hospitals and clinics. India took a while longer.

Conditions For Eligibility

As you can imagine, not everybody can consume these abortion pills without worrying about some serious side effects. Only those women who are less than 49 days pregnant can opt for these pills.

Following are some of the basic criterion that is checked into by a gynecologist before prescribing this procedure:

• It has been less than 8 weeks since your last menstrual period.
• You are able and willing to give your written and verbal consent for the medication.
• You have access to an emergency medical care unit which is less than 2 hours away.
• Agreement to come back for a follow-up consultation, up to 3 times.
• The doctor also confirms your position if the pills do not manage to complete the abortion. In such instances, they would need your consent for a surgical procedure.

Also excluded are women who have some serious medical dispositions, diseases or conditions. Some of these include:

• Serious liver, heart or kidney problems.
• Any type of blood clotting disorder.
• Consumption of any type of anticoagulant medication.
• Severe anemia.
• Adrenal failure.
• An ectopic pregnancy.
• Inherited porphyria.
• Severe diarrhea.
• On a medication of long-term systemic corticosteroids.
• Presence of a mass in the tubes or ovaries.
• Allergy to mifepristone, misoprostol or other similar prostaglandin medicines.

Instructions

You can take these pills in the comfort of your home, or at a clinic or a hospital. What it does is that it forces the cervix to open up, and causes mild contractions.

These contractions softens the uterus, which in turn causes it to dilate and eventually expel any foreign matter, which in this case is the developing embryo.

It is after you have consumed the second pill of misoprostol, that the uterus contracts to finally expel the fetus within 6-8 hours.

Since you can choose when to take the second pill (within the time frame of 24-72 hours following the first), it is possible to prepare oneself for the accompanying heavy bleeding and cramping.

You would need to return to your doctor immediately in case you find that your pregnancy has not been terminated. In case this is the case then your gynecologist might suggest another round of medication, or a surgical termination.

Avoid substances like alcohol, anti-inflammatory medication and aspirin for this duration.

Most women in India opt for this method primarily for the privacy and effectiveness that it assures them. Studies conducted in India, China and Cuba, have revealed that since the introduction of this method, women have already begun to prefer this method for abortion over the surgical option.

The only complain that most of those questioned expressed was that of the large number of side effects, which include the unnaturally large amount of bleeding.

Precautions

Side effects are an expected part of this procedure. However, there are a handful of instances where it might be necessary for you to seek immediate medical help.

Call your gynecologist in case any of the following conditions are observed:

• Soaking of more than two pads in an hour. It is a cause for concern if this happens for over two hours.
• Body temperature rises over 101.4° F for more than four hours.
• The passing of clots greater than a size of an average lemon for over two hours.
• Any kind of an allergic reaction.
• An impending yet strong feeling of nausea, which is accompanied by vomiting for more than four hours.

Cautions

An incomplete abortion occurs in case part of the tissue remains in the uterus after the consumptions of the pills. The results of this includes severe cramping and a lack of bleeding during one’s normal menstrual cycle. The presence of such foreign matter can also cause an infection within the uterus.

Another risk that a women undertakes with these medications is that of Hemorrhage, which is caused in the instance of excessive damage to the uterus during the procedure.

If you bleed through more than one pad in an hour consistently, then it’s a sign of excessive bleeding and time to visit your doctor.

The chances of getting pregnant in the future can be reduced for some women if complications, like an injury to the cervix or the fallopian tube, occur.

Notes

A lot of people wonder whether this procedure is painful for both themselves or the fetus. The entire process can be quite uncomfortable for women. While the levels of pain can be compared with that experienced during one’s monthly periods, the heavy bleeding tends to unnerve the best of us.

This method is without a doubt more painful than a surgery, but it does help you to avoid getting operated upon.

The fetus on the other hand is in premature stages of its growth. While medical sciences have not been able to empirically prove at what stage exactly does the fetus begin feeling pain, it’s a safe bet to peg it anywhere between 10 to 12 weeks, which implies that it does not realize the termination.

Abortion in India has been growing as a viable option for any woman who wants to have control over her body and life. Let us know your opinions and experiences in the comments below.

Abortion pills in India are preferred by a growing number of women with unwanted pregnancies, given its wide scale availability and effectiveness.