Fall 2017 Newsletter Story 3

The abortion pill, also known as RU-486, has come to Canada and for communities (such as Lethbridge) that were previously without access to abortion, it’s a bit of a game changer.

The abortion pill, called Mifegymiso, is a combination product containing two drugs; mifepristone and misoprostol.

These two drugs, when taken together, allow a woman to induce a medical abortion at home. Women are not required to visit an abortion clinic as this drug can be obtained by prescription from a certified doctor and filled at any pharmacy. While Health Canada has approved Mifegymiso to be prescribed to terminate pregnancy up to 7 weeks (49 days), the Canadian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has found the medication effective beyond that and will prescribe it to terminate pregnancy up to 9 weeks (63 days) with many clinics and physicians following suit.

Medical abortions can take anywhere from 24-48 hours to complete and follow up (either visiting a doctor or completing blood work) is essential to confirm pregnancy termination with complete abortion and to ensure that the patient is not experiencing any serious adverse reactions. If the medical abortion is considered to be incomplete, a surgical abortion will be required.

The cost of the abortion pill is fully covered in Alberta. Please pray for those considering abortion, that despite the easy accessibility of the abortion pill, they will still find their way into the Centre before a decision is made.