The abortion industry has rapidly shifted toward chemical abortion, commonly known as the abortion pill. Many women assume this is a safer, more convenient option than a surgical procedure. But the abortion pill side effects and risks are more serious than most women are told.
Telemedicine has made this worse. Virtual doctor visits have become the norm, and more women are receiving abortion pill prescriptions by video call, sometimes without ever stepping foot in a clinic.
In 2025, the FDA approved the first generic version of mifepristone. This made the pill even more widely available through telehealth and retail pharmacies, without making it any safer.
A 2023 analysis of insurance claims from over 865,000 mifepristone abortions found that more than 1 in 1o women experienced a serious adverse event. This is a far higher rate than the FDA label suggests. The problem underneath all of it is the same one Save the Storks has warned about for years: it is impossible to properly prescribe the abortion pill without an ultrasound.
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Why An Ultrasound First is Important
Dr. Karysse Hutson, National Medical Director at Save the Storks, explains that women need an ultrasound before deciding to take the abortion pill for several reasons. The first is to confirm the baby is living and hasn’t already miscarried, since 45% of all pregnancies end in natural miscarriage. An ultrasound is also essential to protect women from being taken advantage of financially.
“Many times, abortion providers will not perform an ultrasound; they may just take the woman at her word based on her last period and charge them hundreds of dollars for the abortion pill,” Hutson says. “Or they may perform an ultrasound but not show the woman if the baby does not have a heartbeat and still charge the woman for the abortion pill. So, women need to know first of all, and see with her own eyes, that her baby is either living or has miscarried.”
A woman also needs to know if the pregnancy is inside the uterus. If it’s ectopic, meaning outside the uterus, and she takes the abortion pill anyway, there could be severe internal bleeding and hemorrhaging that leads to emergency surgery or even maternal death.
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Physical Side Effects of the Abortion Pill
Even if the pregnancy is inside the uterus, there is a significant risk of heavy bleeding and hemorrhaging if a woman chooses to take the abortion pill. The second pill of the procedure causes severe cramping as the pregnancy is being forced out of the woman’s body. If the pregnancy is not removed all the way, there is a risk that women will still require surgery.
An ultrasound is also key to ensure the gestational age of the pregnancy. The abortion pill is only FDA-approved for use up to 70 days or 10 weeks of pregnancy. Many times, especially with telemedicine, doctors only go off a woman’s word or last menstrual period when prescribing the abortion pill. If the abortion pill is taken later than is approved, there are extra risks involved, and an added danger of delivering a second or third-trimester baby prematurely.
“There are many reports of women who have taken the abortion pill only based on what they told a doctor their last period was, but didn’t receive an ultrasound. Then they delivered a near-term baby prematurely at home because of the abortion pill, and many of those women would have said if they knew their baby was in the third trimester, they wouldn’t have gotten the abortion,” Hutson shares. “In these cases, the babies pass away before they can get to the hospital and get the care they need.”
Future Infertility Issues
Another major abortion pill risk is that it doesn’t just end one pregnancy for a woman, but also many times prevents the woman from having future children. Especially if there is a need for surgery for an incomplete abortion, there is a risk of scarring of the uterus or fallopian tubes. Still, regardless, the use of the second pill to expel the pregnancy has plenty of risks on its own.
“There’s a 36% increased risk of preterm birth from moms who have had one abortion, and it’s because the cervix is forced open at the time of an active pregnancy,” Hutson said.
Dangerous Health Risks
Women who’ve had an abortion are also at higher risk for breast cancer. Trandem notes that there’s a 40% higher chance of developing breast cancer. In fact, 79 out of 108 studies posing the question found a higher risk of breast cancer in women who had an abortion.
Something else women should consider when deciding whether to take the abortion pill is the effect on mental health. Women who have had an abortion are 81% more likely to develop a chronic mental health problem, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For those who elect to take the abortion pill, an added distress is watching the baby be expelled at home.
“Depending on the gestational age of the pregnancy, women can see a fully formed baby passing through in their toilet or in their shower,” Hutson says. “That is very traumatic for women to experience that loss firsthand.”
Help After Taking the Abortion Pill
There is hope for women who have started the abortion pill procedure and changed their minds about ending their pregnancy. Within the first 24 to 72 hours of taking the first pill, women can call the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, which will connect them with resources to counter the effects of the first pill. The treatment to restore progesterone to the pregnancy is 62% effective at saving the baby’s life. Read more about abortion pill reversal here.
Because of you, women can access a free ultrasound and real information before they decide, not after. Give today to help more women get the full picture before they take the abortion pill.
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