Medical abortion is a procedure that is available to women during the early weeks of the first trimester of pregnancy. This procedure requires the use of a combination of drugs to terminate the pregnancy. Women have to carry out the procedure under the supervision of a medical professional. There are several side effects associated with the drugs and also the abortion process itself.
Methotrexate (MTX)
A medical abortion using methotrexate (MTX) followed by misoprostol is effective up to the end of the seventh week of pregnancy. A dose of methotrexate is given to the woman either orally or by injection at the first visit with the doctor. The second step to this procedure requires the use of misoprostol five to seven days later. A few hours or a few days later the woman will begin experiencing contractions and the fetus will be aborted from the body. Seven days after the administration of misoprostol the woman will be examined to ensure that the procedure is complete and no complications have occurred.
Methotrexate, as indicated by the American Pregnancy Association, is a drug that is typically used for the treatment of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis because it fights the rapid growth of cells in the body. When used to assist in an abortion, the drug will cause the fetus and placenta to separate from the lining of the uterus in preparation for the misoprostol administration. MTX is not successful in about 10 percent of cases, as indicated by the American Pregnancy Association. When the medical abortion does not work, a surgical procedure is carried out to remove the fetus from the woman's uterus.
Mifepristone (RU-486)
Mifepristone is also used in combination with misprostol to carry out a medical abortion. It is often called RU-486 or the abortion pill, as indicated by the American Pregnancy Association. This combination of drugs can be used during the first seven to nine weeks of the pregnancy. RU-486 is not recommended for women with certain pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancy, ovarian mass, IUD, corticosteroid use, adrenal failure, anemia, bleeding disorders, use of blood thinners, asthma, heart disease, liver or kidney problems, or high blood pressure.
Mifepristone is administered orally during the first office visit. The drug works by blocking progesterone from the uterine lining, leading to the death of the fetus. The cervix begins to soften and the uterus contracts, explains Ipas.org. The body can respond by contracting and expelling the fetus. When it does not, the doctor may give the woman misoprostol tablets either orally or vaginally 36 to 48 hours later. As with MTX, a woman will experience contractions a few hours or a few days later that will cause the fetus to be aborted from the body. RU-486 is unsuccessful in 8 to 10 percent of cases.
Misoprostol
Following methotrexate or mifepristone, the woman will return to the doctor to receive misoprostol tablets either orally or vaginally. This drug is responsible for causing contractions to expel the fetus after the first drug helped dislodge it from the uterine lining. Using only misoprostol can cause contractions but it is not as likely that the fetus will actually be expelled by the body.
Side effects of either type of medical abortion tend to be the same and are the result of the combination of drugs used. Such side effects include cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy bleeding and infection.
