A Guide for all Pregnant People Seeking to Self-managed Abortion

Do you know medical abortion-an abortion with pills, is a safe and effective way of terminating an early pregnancy? When it comes to self-managed abortion without clinical supervision, feeling stressed or developing a sense of despair or uncertainty are very common. To reduce your anxiety let us share with you that self-managed abortion can be considered a safe and effective way to terminate a pregnancy. However, there are a few things that a person needs to keep in mind during this process.

Before sharing some substantial facts with you I am sharing a snippet from a personal relevant incident. ‘Self-managed abortion’ might sound like a new phenomenon to most people but it is not the reality. It was the year 2011 when one day a friend of mine called me telling me that her pregnancy test had turned out positive. I remember she was crying with fear as being unmarried, living within an orthodox family, and dealing with this situation alone was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, she planned to go for an abortion using abortion pills at home.

How we did it, how she managed this situation at home is another story in itself. Long story short she sorted it out by managing her abortion at home successfully.

This story reminds me of what could have been the repercussions for her if she did not have the courage to manage this situation on time by herself. This story also encourages me to read more about this very empowering term ‘self-managed abortion’.

We are sharing a few tips that any person can follow while seeking a self-managed abortion.

Confirm the pregnancy test and length in the week.

If you have missed your period and if there are chances that it could be due to pregnancy. The best way to figure out this dicey situation is to take a home pregnancy test. For this, it is highly recommended to use a first-morning urine sample to detect HCG levels in the body which will lead high chances to an accurate result of pregnancy.

If the result turns out positive, the next best practice is to calculate the pregnancy’s length in a week. Because to terminate a pregnancy using pills, it is required to be in its early stages (within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy).

Home remedies:

It is very common to think and look for alternative ways to terminate a pregnancy at home. Perhaps you might think that it is the easiest way to end this pregnancy. By looking it online, asking peers or you might even get random suggestions as well. Eating papaya is a very common suggestion that you can come across in India. Although, this option is not medically approved and there is no certainty that it will terminate the pregnancy. Hence, it's advisable to not fall into this as this can only waste your time, energy and distraught you. Instead, please choose wisely the right direction.

Collect critical instructions :

The very next step you can take is reading about all the critical instructions about medical termination of pregnancy online through reliable sites, such as Howtouseabortionpill, where a team is also there to connect you with safe resources and reliable information.

This process will also help you in identifying the possible complications, what you can expect and how to plan. Also, This resource will help you in preparing to handle the complications if they occur.

A few considerations:

There are some considerations as well that you ought to need to be looked at closely. Such as if you are anemic, have IUD, are breastfeeding, or are HIV positive, then before opting for self-managed abortion, you must need to read this considerations section on our website. Where you will be getting very helpful and necessary guidance and solutions to these considerations.

Where to find the abortion pills:

In India, at most places, abortion pills are available over the counter with or even without prescriptions. If you find it challenging going to the chemist then there is the best option available which is reaching out to the online abortion pill providers who are reliable and trustworthy such as Janani.

Take care of yourself:

Throughout these steps and this process, the most important thing you can do for yourself is taking care of yourself. Do not miss to stay hydrated, eat well and sleep well. Talk to a reliable peer to share your worries and how you are feeling. Having stress, anxiety during this phase is very common but seeking out the right solution is the best way out. Always remember, safe abortion is your prerogative.

Michell Mor is a Communicologist dedicated to digital marketing, who from time to time likes to reflect on feminism, society, culture and more.