How long does an abortion take?

How long an abortion takes depends on what type of abortion it is. With the abortion pill, you take two different medications. You take the first medication at your provider’s office, and the second one at home (or someplace else safe and comfortable) one or two days later. The first medication stops the pregnancy from continuing to develop, and the second medication starts the actual abortion process. Once you take the second medication, the abortion can take up to several hours to be complete. With the abortion procedure, the actual abortion typically only takes five to ten minutes.