A new study finds that many women may be surprised by the intensity of the pain they feel after a chemical abortion.
The studypublished this week in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, surveyed women in the United Kingdom who took the abortion pill to end a pregnancy and asked them about the pain they experienced.
Almost half of the respondents said that the pain they felt was more than they expected. Most of the respondents (92%) rated their pain at least 4 out of 10 on the pain scale while more than 40% of the respondents stated that their pain was severe (8-10).
Abortion pills, also known as a chemical or medical abortionincluding the two drugs mifepristone and misoprostol taken to terminate pregnancy. The pill is the most common abortion method offered by providers in the US, accounting for more than 60% of all pregnancies nationwide, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
FILE – A patient prepares to take two pills of the compound, mifepristone, for a medical abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. The law instructing doctors to disclose the procedures for stopping the medication. -an abortion cannot be performed without a procedure pending a court decision. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
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About 1,600 women responded to the survey, most of whom were between the ages of 20 and 39. About half of the respondents reported that they had never given birth before. .
Two-thirds of respondents said they would choose abortion pills again if needed in the future, but 13% of respondents said they would choose surgical abortion, and the majority of the group for this they mention the severe pain they felt as the reason.
Although some women felt that the pain was no worse than menstrual cramps, other women who responded to the survey called the pain worse than they expected. These women said that the level of pain was “reduced” or “covered by sugar” in the information given to them by medical professionals before taking the pills.
“The pain was much worse than period pain, it was like having labor pains. I have given birth three times and the pain was really not much different from that pain, the pain they're shaking,” one protester said.
Abortion rights supporters participate in the “Rally for Our Freedom” to defend abortion rights for Floridians in Orlando, Florida. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty) (CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
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The researchers concluded that patients should be given “accurate, reasonable information about pain” to manage it and support “informed consent for the choice of abortion method.”
“Women want more, meaningful information to make informed choices about treatment and to prepare for a medical abortion if that's their choice,” lead study author Hannah McCulloh wrote. “And medical abortion is a very safe and effective option. This review led us at BPAS to create new patient equipment and provide additional staff training, which we are now in the process of examine it.”
Supporter of life Abby Johnsona former director of Planned Parenthood who now helps women get out of the abortion industry, said a new study exposed the truth about chemical abortions that is not often talked about.
“It's time for a study like this to be released because women are not being told the truth about what happens during a medical abortion or the extent of the pain they can experience,” Johnson said in a news release.
A pro-life advocate holds a sign about bringing back the abortion pill. (40 Days in the Life)
“I hope they will realize that they were never told the truth about their medical abortion and that, unfortunately, their frustration was monetized by the abortion industry . That's exactly how I felt when I was given the abortion pills and sent my pills. I found out later what a medical abortion looks like.” he added.
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The abortion pill was first approved for use in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 and can be dispensed domestically. the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
In June, The Supreme Court ruled against a challenge to the FDA's regulatory approval process for mifepristone brought by a group of pro-life physicians and medical organizations.
Lower courts ruled that the federal agency did not fully consider the potential risks to women when mifepristone regulations were revised starting in 2016. Those changes — the last updated in 2023 – they include reducing the recommended dose, which allows the use of drugs up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. (from seven weeks), to authorize a common type and to allow delivery (to eliminate visits to the doctor), among other measures.
The United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) (AP Photo)
The Biden administration and mifepristone's maker have asked the Court to reverse an appeals decision that would block access to the drug by mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal.
With the victory of The Biden administration and abortion rights supporters, the Supreme Court upheld access to the abortion pill, ruling unanimously that the FDA's opponents lacked standing to sue the government.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.