Photo: GettyThe demand for abortion pills has significantly increased across the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision last month tooverturnRoe v. Wade.Companies that prescribe abortion pills — after telehealth consultations — have reported more web traffic and appointment requests in recent weeks, including in states with “trigger” laws where abortion has already been banned or highly restricted.Hey Jane, a virtual clinic that currently ships abortion pills to six states, experienced 10 times its normal web traffic and a doubling of demand the week after Roe was overturned.“We’re more than prepared to accommodate this increase in demand and have been preparing for this reality for months,” said Kiki Freedman, Hey Jane CEO,The Wall Street Journalreports.Just the Pill, a nonprofit that provides abortion pills in four states, said in areleasethat the company is “primed” to meet the challenges that come amid the end ofRoe"with game-changing innovation that makes reproductive health care accessible to all people.“Dr. Julie Amaon, Just the Pill’s medical director, said the nonprofit is receiving “about 25 appointment requests a day compared with 16 a day” before the SCOTUS decision.The organization has even implemented a new program featuring mobile clinics along state borders where abortion is banned to give patients better access with reduced travel burdens.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Mifepristone (L) and misoprostol tablets.ELISA WELLS/PLAN C/AFP via GettyMedical abortions, often referred to as the abortion pill, is the more popular option compared to surgical abortions. It consists of taking the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol a day or two apart to end early pregnancy.“Mifepristone plus misoprostol is 95 to 98% effective at ending a pregnancy before 11 weeks,” says Susan Yanow, consultant to international activist non-profitWomen Help Womenand the U.S. spokesperson forSAAS, Self-Managed Abortions; Safe & Supported. “People in the U.S. have been using pills to self-manage abortions since at least 2000, and even longer in the rest of the world.“The pills can be taken at home, eliminating the need to drive to a clinic, take extended time off of work or worry about child care.Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.While the process can vary, Yanow says the most common method involves a person swallowing one mifepristone, waiting 24 to 36 hours, and then taking 4 misoprostol. Mifespristone blocks progesterone, which causes changes in the uterine lining and detachment of the pregnancy, while misoprostol leads to contractions.Cramping and contractions may begin about 1 to 4 hours after taking misoprostol, emptying the uterus, much like a miscarriage. Pain can be managed at home, usually with ibuprofin and heating pads, although experts recommend that a hospital be reachable within an hour in case of emergency. Most people miscarry within 4 to 5 hours of the onset of cramping, but some lingering cramping may continue for a day or two.“What these pills do is cause a miscarriage, which happens anyway in 15 to 20% of all pregnancies,” says Yanow. “So if somebody uses these pills and needs to go to a doctor, they would get the exact same treatment as if they were having a spontaneous miscarriage.“And that’s what they should say, she emphasizes. The substances cannot be detected in the body because they metabolize quickly. “If they say they have used abortion pills, they could be criminalized [in states where abortion is illegal].”
Photo: Getty
The demand for abortion pills has significantly increased across the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision last month tooverturnRoe v. Wade.Companies that prescribe abortion pills — after telehealth consultations — have reported more web traffic and appointment requests in recent weeks, including in states with “trigger” laws where abortion has already been banned or highly restricted.Hey Jane, a virtual clinic that currently ships abortion pills to six states, experienced 10 times its normal web traffic and a doubling of demand the week after Roe was overturned.“We’re more than prepared to accommodate this increase in demand and have been preparing for this reality for months,” said Kiki Freedman, Hey Jane CEO,The Wall Street Journalreports.Just the Pill, a nonprofit that provides abortion pills in four states, said in areleasethat the company is “primed” to meet the challenges that come amid the end ofRoe"with game-changing innovation that makes reproductive health care accessible to all people.“Dr. Julie Amaon, Just the Pill’s medical director, said the nonprofit is receiving “about 25 appointment requests a day compared with 16 a day” before the SCOTUS decision.The organization has even implemented a new program featuring mobile clinics along state borders where abortion is banned to give patients better access with reduced travel burdens.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Mifepristone (L) and misoprostol tablets.ELISA WELLS/PLAN C/AFP via GettyMedical abortions, often referred to as the abortion pill, is the more popular option compared to surgical abortions. It consists of taking the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol a day or two apart to end early pregnancy.“Mifepristone plus misoprostol is 95 to 98% effective at ending a pregnancy before 11 weeks,” says Susan Yanow, consultant to international activist non-profitWomen Help Womenand the U.S. spokesperson forSAAS, Self-Managed Abortions; Safe & Supported. “People in the U.S. have been using pills to self-manage abortions since at least 2000, and even longer in the rest of the world.“The pills can be taken at home, eliminating the need to drive to a clinic, take extended time off of work or worry about child care.Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.While the process can vary, Yanow says the most common method involves a person swallowing one mifepristone, waiting 24 to 36 hours, and then taking 4 misoprostol. Mifespristone blocks progesterone, which causes changes in the uterine lining and detachment of the pregnancy, while misoprostol leads to contractions.Cramping and contractions may begin about 1 to 4 hours after taking misoprostol, emptying the uterus, much like a miscarriage. Pain can be managed at home, usually with ibuprofin and heating pads, although experts recommend that a hospital be reachable within an hour in case of emergency. Most people miscarry within 4 to 5 hours of the onset of cramping, but some lingering cramping may continue for a day or two.“What these pills do is cause a miscarriage, which happens anyway in 15 to 20% of all pregnancies,” says Yanow. “So if somebody uses these pills and needs to go to a doctor, they would get the exact same treatment as if they were having a spontaneous miscarriage.“And that’s what they should say, she emphasizes. The substances cannot be detected in the body because they metabolize quickly. “If they say they have used abortion pills, they could be criminalized [in states where abortion is illegal].”
The demand for abortion pills has significantly increased across the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision last month tooverturnRoe v. Wade.
Companies that prescribe abortion pills — after telehealth consultations — have reported more web traffic and appointment requests in recent weeks, including in states with “trigger” laws where abortion has already been banned or highly restricted.
Hey Jane, a virtual clinic that currently ships abortion pills to six states, experienced 10 times its normal web traffic and a doubling of demand the week after Roe was overturned.
“We’re more than prepared to accommodate this increase in demand and have been preparing for this reality for months,” said Kiki Freedman, Hey Jane CEO,The Wall Street Journalreports.
Just the Pill, a nonprofit that provides abortion pills in four states, said in areleasethat the company is “primed” to meet the challenges that come amid the end ofRoe"with game-changing innovation that makes reproductive health care accessible to all people.”
Dr. Julie Amaon, Just the Pill’s medical director, said the nonprofit is receiving “about 25 appointment requests a day compared with 16 a day” before the SCOTUS decision.
The organization has even implemented a new program featuring mobile clinics along state borders where abortion is banned to give patients better access with reduced travel burdens.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Mifepristone (L) and misoprostol tablets.ELISA WELLS/PLAN C/AFP via Getty
Medical abortions, often referred to as the abortion pill, is the more popular option compared to surgical abortions. It consists of taking the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol a day or two apart to end early pregnancy.
“Mifepristone plus misoprostol is 95 to 98% effective at ending a pregnancy before 11 weeks,” says Susan Yanow, consultant to international activist non-profitWomen Help Womenand the U.S. spokesperson forSAAS, Self-Managed Abortions; Safe & Supported. “People in the U.S. have been using pills to self-manage abortions since at least 2000, and even longer in the rest of the world.”
The pills can be taken at home, eliminating the need to drive to a clinic, take extended time off of work or worry about child care.
Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
While the process can vary, Yanow says the most common method involves a person swallowing one mifepristone, waiting 24 to 36 hours, and then taking 4 misoprostol. Mifespristone blocks progesterone, which causes changes in the uterine lining and detachment of the pregnancy, while misoprostol leads to contractions.
Cramping and contractions may begin about 1 to 4 hours after taking misoprostol, emptying the uterus, much like a miscarriage. Pain can be managed at home, usually with ibuprofin and heating pads, although experts recommend that a hospital be reachable within an hour in case of emergency. Most people miscarry within 4 to 5 hours of the onset of cramping, but some lingering cramping may continue for a day or two.
“What these pills do is cause a miscarriage, which happens anyway in 15 to 20% of all pregnancies,” says Yanow. “So if somebody uses these pills and needs to go to a doctor, they would get the exact same treatment as if they were having a spontaneous miscarriage.”
And that’s what they should say, she emphasizes. The substances cannot be detected in the body because they metabolize quickly. “If they say they have used abortion pills, they could be criminalized [in states where abortion is illegal].”
source: people.com
