The abortion pill is not medicine

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]My name is Dr. Noreen Johnson. I'm a board certified obstetrician gynecologist with 44 years of experience and I've completed over 1,000 abortions.

[00:00:08]Today, I'm going to explain how the abortion pill works, which has been approved by the FDA to be taken up to the 10th week of pregnancy. Although many abortion facilities use the pill off-label for weeks after that. The abortion pill regimen consists of two steps. Step one. At the abortion facility or at home, the woman swallows mifepristone pills. Mifepristone blocks the action of a hormone called progesterone. Progesterone is naturally produced in a mother's body to stabilize the lining of the uterus. When mifepristone blocks progesterone, the lining of the mother's uterus breaks down, cutting off oxygen and vital nutrients to the embryo, who then dies inside the mother's womb. It is important to note that even after it has been taken, it is possible to stop the effects of the mifepristone and save the embryo if progesterone is administered.

[00:00:54]If the woman wants to stop the effects of the mifepristone, she needs progesterone as soon as possible. Step two.

[00:01:00]24 to 48 hours after taking mifepristone, the woman takes misoprostol by placing the pills in her cheeks. She will experience severe cramping, contractions, and heavy bleeding to force the dead embryo out of her uterus. The process can be very intense and painful and the bleeding contractions can last from a few hours to several days. While she could lose her embryo anytime and anywhere during the process, the woman will often sit on the toilet as she prepares to expel the embryo, which she will then flush. She may even see the expelled embryo within the pregnancy sac. After she has disposed of the embryo, the woman may have bleeding and spotting for several weeks. Bleeding lasts an average 9 to 16 days.

[00:01:43]8% of women bleed more than 30 days and half a percent require hospitalization because of heavy bleeding.

[00:01:50]The failure rate increases as the pregnancy progresses. At 8 weeks or less, the failure rate is 2 to 6%. At 8 or 9 weeks, the failure rate is 4 to 6%.

[00:02:01]At 9 to 10 weeks, the failure rate is 7 to 9%. At 10 to 11 weeks, the failure rate is 13%. If failure occurs, she will usually be offered a surgical abortion in which the embryo or remaining tissue is removed using suction.

[00:02:17]For the mother, abortion pills often cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and heavy bleeding.

[00:02:25]Maternal deaths have occurred most frequently due to infection and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is when implantation occurs outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube.