Using Abortion Pills Very Early in Pregnancy Is Safe, Study Finds

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 -- Abortion pills are safe and effective even very early in a pregnancy, a new study finds.

Clinics and hospitals tend to defer medication abortions until a woman’s pregnancy is confirmed using ultrasound, researchers said.

But abortion pills can be safely taken prior to the sixth week of pregnancy, researchers reported Nov. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Women often find out very early if they’re pregnant, and a majority also know if they want a termination and if so, want it to take place as quickly as possible,” said lead researcher author Dr. Karin Brandell, a gynecologist at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden.

Doctors prefer delaying a medication abortion until an ultrasound is performed, to rule out the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, researchers said. Ultrasound reveals a pregnancy in weeks five to six.

In an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo attaches outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes, researchers said. An ectopic pregnancy is not terminated by a medication abortion, and can be life-threatening for the woman.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 1,500 women at 26 clinics in nine countries who requested an abortion before ultrasound was able to confirm their pregnancy.

These women were randomly assigned to either receive their early medication abortion as requested or have their abortion delayed until pregnancy could be confirmed by ultrasound.

In both groups, more than 95% of women had a complete and successful abortion.

In the delayed treatment group, 4.5% of medication abortions failed and required additional surgery. In the early group, 3% of pregnancies continued and 1.8% of women required surgery for an incomplete abortion.

Overall, 1% of all participants had an ectopic pregnancy, researchers found.

“Very early medical abortion was just as effective and safe to perform, even in case of an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy,” said Dr. Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Karolinska Institute.

Women in the early group reported less pain and bleeding. In both groups, women wanted to have their abortion performed as quickly as possible.

“Abortion is a political as well as a medical issue,” Brandell said.

“In Sweden, a woman can repeat the procedure a week after a failed early abortion. But a woman in Texas, where abortion is banned after the sixth week, can’t,” Brandell said. “It was therefore important to show that early abortion is equivalent to current standard procedure at a later stage of pregnancy.”

Researchers now want to test if a new combination of drugs for early abortion might also prove effective in treating ectopic pregnancies.

They are also developing new contraceptives based on mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in a medication abortion.

“It can be taken in a lower dose than for abortion to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the form of one tablet a week, or when needed,” Gemzell-Danielsson said.

Sources

  • Karolinska Institute, news release, Nov. 6, 2024
  • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords