Medication abortions were the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Medication abortions became the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. These involve taking two prescription medicines days apart - at home or in a clinic.Abortion procedures are an invasive medical technique that empties the womb. They are sometimes called surgical abortions, although they don't involve surgery.
Bleeding is normal. Very heavy bleeding - soaking more than two pads an hour for more than two hours - is uncommon but requires medical attention.Dr. Stephanie Rand, a New York ob-gyn and abortion specialist with the advocacy group Physicians for Reproductive Health, says pregnancy tests should not be used right away to determine if a medication abortion was successful because the pregnancy hormone may linger in the body for several weeks.
In December, the agency dropped the biggest restriction: a requirement that patients pick up the medication in person. The FDA said a scientific review of the drug's use - including during the COVID-19 pandemic - showed that women could safely receive the pills through the mail after an online consultation, without any increase in side effects or complications.
The Biden administration's Justice Department has already signaled plans to challenge state restrictions on medication abortion. And federal lawyers are likely to be joined by outside parties, including abortion rights groups like Planned Parenthood and even the companies that make the pills. Those laws could withstand court challenges. States have long had authority over how physicians, pharmacists and other providers practice medicine.