Medication abortion using Mifepristone accounts for 53% of all abortions in the United States. The medication abortion very effective and millions of people have used it safely. The abortion pill or medication abortion, is very safe. It is safer than many other medications that are used everyday such as penicillin and Tylenol.

As with any medical care, there are some risks that come with taking the abortion pill. Here are a few possible complications that can happen:

• Sometimes the medication does not work and the pregnancy does not end
• Pregnancy tissue may not pass completely from the uterus
• You may bleed too much or for too long
• Infection
• Allergic reaction to a medication

Complications like these do not happen very often, and can often be resolved with medication or other medical treatment.

After taking the medication abortion, you should call us right away if:

• You vomit within 30 minutes of swallowing the mifepristone (the medication that you take in the clinic)
• If you take misoprostol at home, 24 hours passes and you do not have any bleeding
• You completely soak one maxi-pad in one hour or less
• You have severe pain and are not getting any relief from the pain medications that we gave you
• You have a fever of 100.0 degrees or higher
• You have flu like symptoms like severe tiredness, weakness, muscle aches, fever, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting
• You have diarrhea more than 24 hours after taking the misoprostol at home
• You still feel pregnant, feel pregnancy symptoms, or you do not have a period 8 weeks after the medication abortion

There is no risk to your general health or future fertility, unless there is a rare, serious complication, and treatment is delayed. Contact us anytime day or night, if you have any of the symptoms listed above or any other concerns. We have medical staff on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you live in Bowling Green, Kentucky and have learned that there is a problem with your pregnancy, you are not alone. We offer support and compassion during this time of loss. There are support groups and services available for you to connect with other families who have made this difficult choice. If you would like, we can offer remembrance footprints. Please contact our patient care coordinator, Kathryn Rabbitt Phipps via email at krabbitt@fpachicago.com if you have any specific questions, concerns or genetic testing requests.

Safety is important to FPA and our patients. ACOG, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, states on their website that abortion is a safe medical intervention, “Most abortions are safely performed in an outpatient nonhospital setting. Only about 2% of patients who have an abortion experience a complication, and most of these complications are minor and easily treatable with follow-up procedures or antibiotics.”

Risks depend on your personal medical history as well. When you make an appointment, we will send you a link to confidentially complete a full medical history. If our medical staff members have any concerns we will call you and have a phone consultation, before you travel to FPA from Bowling Green for abortion care.

All of our physicians specialize in providing abortion care, are board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and most are also on staff at a highly regarded local hospital. Our physicians, advanced care clinicians, administrative staff, nursing personnel, and entire support staff work together closely to offer safe, confidential and caring abortion services – this is one of our core values.

You can complete your registration forms before you arrive. Simply download, print and fill out the forms. Please use a black ink pen only. (Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)