5 things to know about getting abortion pills through telehealth

There’s been a lot of news about abortion pills lately. Most recently, the Supreme Court issued a decision to temporarily continue access to mifepristone through mail, after a lower court ruling required people seeking abortions to go to a clinic in person for the medication. Here are the facts:

1. Using telehealth is just as safe as getting pills in person

Research shows that getting abortion pills by mail after a telehealth visit is just as safe and effective as going in person. Most telehealth providers offer medication abortion through 10–12 weeks, though some offer it up to 14 weeks. People who use telehealth also report high satisfaction, pointing to more privacy, faster access, and lower costs.

2. You can get abortion pills in all 50 states

Some telehealth abortion providers only serve specific states. Other telehealth abortion providers serve all 50 U.S. states and its territories. Depending on where you live, there may be some legal risk in getting abortion pills online. To learn more about possible legal risk, visit the website for the Repro Legal Helpline.

3. You can have a medication abortion with two kinds of medicine or just one

There are two kinds of “abortion pills"— mifepristone and misoprostol — and they’re usually used in combination. But abortions using just misoprostol are also safe and effective for ending a pregnancy.

4. There is no test that can detect if someone has taken abortion pills

There’s no blood test, urine test, or anything like that currently used in the U.S. to detect if someone has taken abortion pills. If you use abortion pills vaginally, there’s a small chance a health care provider could see traces of the pill in your vagina for a few hours or possibly a couple of days. But if you’re taking abortion pills orally, the only way someone could know would be if you told them.

Plus, the medical treatment for a miscarriage and for a medication abortion is the exact same. So, if someone is seeking care and they’re worried about how they’ll be treated, or, they just don’t think it’s anyone’s business, it’s totally okay and a good idea to just say something like “I think I’m having a miscarriage.”

5. You don’t have to be pregnant to get abortion pills

More providers are now offering an option called “abortion pills for future use,” so you can get abortion pills before you need them. Just remember to check the expiration date because abortion pills generally expire two to five years after they’re made.