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How to Perform a Safe Home Abortion

Updated: May 17


In the context of the commemoration of the decriminalization of abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is important to continue contributing with timely and accurate information safe home abortion methods and above all how to have an abortion in a self-managed way.


All women, trans men, non-binary people and pregnant women have the right to access information and comprehensive education on sexuality in order to fully exercise their autonomy without any kind of discrimination or blockage to their full state of health (physical, mental and social well-being). Access to this information is important to ensure that any decision related to their sexual and reproductive life is made with full, free and informed consent.



The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that if a woman decides to have a home abortion and a range of abortion methods are available, she should be able to choose from among the available methods that are appropriate, depending on how far along she is in her pregnancy and her health status. To help her make her choice, it is essential that she be provided with adequate and scientifically accurate information about the possible risk factors and the advantages and disadvantages of each of the available methods.


Terminating a pregnancy is your decision and one way to do it in a safe, effective and self-managed way, in a safe space for you, is through the use of abortion pills. The WHO clinical practice manual for safe home abortion suggests that this method with pills such as misoprostol and/or mifepristone is recommended up to the 12th week of pregnancy.


The name of the pills may be different depending on the region or country. Mifepristone may be available as Mifeprex or Mifegyne. It should be noted that in some Latin American countries it is not registered and can be difficult to find. Misoprostol, on the other hand, is much more accessible in terms of availability and is available in pharmacies as Cytotec, Taneciprol or Cytil.


Only with Misoprostol


It is a medication that produces contractions in the uterus and dilation of the cervix. This causes the expulsion of the gestational sac and tissue. It is also important to mention that clinical or surgical intervention is not necessary. The risks are minimal if used correctly.


The procedure with Misoprostol alone consists of using 12 pills, divided into 3 doses of 4 pills every three hours. These pills should be placed under the tongue (sublingual) or inside the vagina. Both methods are effective, but the sublingual method may be more convenient. It also avoids leaving residue in the vagina, which minimizes exposure to risk in settings where pregnancy termination is illegal. Dissolution under the tongue may take about 30 minutes to be effective. If vomiting occurs before that time, four more pills must be swallowed. If vomiting occurs within an hour after the pills have been dissolved, nothing happens, it is still effective in achieving the home abortion.


Some women experience pain similar to menstrual cramps and others experience pain similar to labor contractions. The sensation will depend on each body and is experienced differently from person to person. Bleeding may start within 30 minutes of ingesting the first dose or even hours later. It could be heavier than menstruation, so it is recommended to have sanitary pads on hand. It is not recommended to use a menstrual cup, tampons or anything that goes into the vagina. It is not normal to have very heavy bleeding, such as soaking more than 2 pads within 1 hour. If so, it is important to get medical attention.



With Misoprostol and Mifepristone



Mifepristone is a medication that is combined with Misoprostol to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. In this case, take one 200 mg Mifepristone pill and after 36 hours, switch to a single dose of Misoprostol or 4 pills. Pain and nausea relief medication should be taken into consideration in case of pain and nausea. Side effects usually include vomiting, diarrhea, chills and fever. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is not recommended, only the use of ibuprofen up to 800 g during treatment is recommended. Another medication to avoid is Buscapine, it is usually used for pain, but in this case it is not effective because it prevents uterine contractions and that is precisely what we expect from the home abortion process.


What You Should Know When Purchasing the Tablets


Due to the illegality of some pharmacists and informal sellers, they take advantage of selling fake pills that will not work or will give you the wrong dose. In view of this reality, it is recommended to make sure that you receive medicines that are sealed; however, due to criminalization, it is also possible that the people in charge of offering these pills often have to change the bag or packaging to camouflage them. This leads to consider other signs with which authenticity could be identified, such as visually. Pfizer's Misoprostol (Cytotec) is hexagonal in shape, but in other presentations it is usually available in an oval shape. As for Mifepristone, it is a yellow pill -generic- the size of an acetaminophen tablet.


Aya Contigo: Safe and Accompanied Abortion


Accompanying a home abortion is a multidisciplinary process that requires, in addition to the manual procedure, psychoemotional accompaniment with timely care and information, either virtually or in person. This accompaniment can make a difference in the process and can even be significant for both the companion and the pregnant woman who decided to terminate the pregnancy.


Aya Contigo is a virtual platform designed by Vitala Globalto provide information on sexual and reproductive health issues and also to accompany you remotely and safely in your self-managed abortion process. The information offered on this platform comes from guidelines and resources based on scientific evidence developed by recognized international organizations.


In addition to the service and information, the application provides security and privacy. The data collected in the procedure are minimal, necessary and relevant to carry out the process in a comprehensive manner and are deleted when they are no longer needed. For more information you can consult their policies and tips for using Aya Contigo safely through the menu on their home page.



Using it is easy. You can log in from a computer to the here or download the app on your Android cell phone. Once inside, the options to choose from to start the tour are: how to have a safe home abortion, contraceptive methods and useful tips for self-care..


When you select the "how to terminate a pregnancy" option, you will be asked a series of questions about your search in order to provide you with the information you need about home abortion and to provide you with timely care.


Are you looking for safe and confidential support and accompaniment?

Download the app Aya Contigo.


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