Medical Abortion
Medical abortion uses medication rather than surgery to end a pregnancy. It can only be used early in a pregnancy - up to seven weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period.
Is medical abortion available in Canada?
Yes, using the drugs Methotrexate and Misoprostol, medical abortion is available to women in some places in Canada. To find out if it is available in your area,
- contact your local Canadian Federation for Sexual Health member
- call your local public health department (under government listings in the phone book)
- call the National Abortion Federation’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-772-9100
- visit the online listing of abortion providers across Canada.
RU 486, commonly referred to as the abortion pill and marketed under the names Mifeprex, Mifepristone or Mifegyne, is not available in Canada. There is no safe, legitimate source of RU 486 available on the Internet or by mail order.
The abortion pill is sometimes confused with the emergency contraceptive pill (also called the “morning after” pill or Plan B), which is used to prevent a pregnancy if you have unprotected sex, or your chosen method of birth control fails. Emergency contraceptive pills have no effect if you are already pregnant.
How does a Methotrexate/Misoprostol abortion work?
Methotrexate and Misoprostol are drugs that, when are used together, end an early pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy . Methotrexate inhibits the production of folic acid, which is needed for embryonic development. Misoprostol makes the uterus contract, expelling the embryo from your body. These medications will not affect future pregnancies.[i]
What is the process for having a medical abortion?
- a detailed medical history is taken
- an ultrasound is performed to ensure the pregnancy is not beyond 5 weeks’ gestation
- if there are no medical reasons why you should not use this method, you are given Methotrexate by a muscle injection or to drink in liquid form
- You are then sent home with Misoprostol tablets
- Potential side effects from Methotrexate: nausea, diarrhea, headache, fever and chills
- Three to six days after going home, you insert the Misoprostol tablets into your vagina.
One-third of women will expel the embryo within 24 hours of inserting the Misoprostol tablets. For some women, it can take as long as three to four weeks. During this time, you will experience cramps and bleed as if you are having a heavy menstrual period or a miscarriage.
A follow up visit is required around seven days after the Methotrexate injection.
How safe and effective is medical abortion?
For approximately 5% of women, this procedure will not work and a surgical abortion will be required. Approximately 5% of women choose to have surgical abortions because they feel the medical abortion is taking too long and they do not want to wait any longer. Fewer than 1% of women have complications such as infection or serious bleeding.[ii]
How much does a medical abortion cost?
Even if you have a provincial health card, clinics may charge to cover the cost of the drugs used in medical abortion. This cost varies from clinic to clinic.
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[i] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecolgists Committee on Practice Bulletins. “Medical Management of Abortion”. ACOG Practice Bulletin. Number 67, October 2005, 878.
[ii] Wiebe, Ellen et al. “Comparison of Abortions Induced by Methotrexate or Mifepristone Followed by Misoprostol.” Journal of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 99, No. 5, Part 1, May 2002, 817.