If you’ve taken the abortion pill or are considering it, you deserve clear and honest information about what can happen afterward.
A recent large-scale study analyzed medical insurance data from 865,727 abortion pill prescriptions in the United States between 2017 and 2023, making it one of the most comprehensive studies of medication abortion outcomes to date.
Researchers followed women’s medical records for 45 days after taking the abortion pill to identify serious health complications.
What they found raises important questions about how the abortion pill is often described.
The Key Finding: About 1 in 10 Women Experienced a Serious Medical Event
The study found that 10.93 percent of women experienced a serious adverse event after taking the abortion pill. That means about 1 in 10 women experienced complications serious enough to require medical attention.
These complications included:
- Severe bleeding (hemorrhaging)
- Infection or sepsis
- Emergency room visits
- Hospitalization
- Blood transfusions
- Additional surgical procedures
The researchers only counted serious or life-threatening complications, meaning milder side effects were not included in this number.
Why Researchers Say This Matters
For years, the abortion pill has often been described as having a serious complication rate of less than 0.5 percent. But that number comes from older clinical trials involving about 30,000 participants, many of which were conducted more than a decade ago in controlled research settings. This newer research looked at real-world medical data from hundreds of thousands of women across the United States. Based on that larger dataset, researchers concluded that the real-world complication rate may be at least 22 times higher than the figure reported on the drug label.
The Abortion Pill Is a Medical Process
Medication abortion usually involves two drugs.
The first medication, mifepristone, blocks the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for the pregnancy to continue. The second medication, misoprostol, causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy.
Because this process often happens at home, women may experience heavy bleeding and cramping without direct medical supervision.
While some women complete the process without complications, the study’s findings show that serious medical events do happen and may require emergency care.
You Deserve Support and Clear Answers
At Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic, we care about your health and your well-being. If you have questions about the abortion pill, are experiencing symptoms, or simply need someone to talk to, our medical team is here to help.
Our services are confidential and free of charge. You don’t have to face this moment alone. Schedule an appointment today to talk with a medical professional and learn more about your health and your options.
Source:
Jamie Bryan Hall and Ryan T. Anderson, The Abortion Pill Harms Women: Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event, Ethics and Public Policy Center, April 28, 2025.