American women are increasingly choosing to terminate their pregnancies with abortion pills instead of surgery, a new report states. Abortion medications are growing more popular, now almost equal to the rate of surgical abortions, which used to be the standard method of ending early pregnancies.
The data, compiled and reviewed by Reuters on abortions completed at Planned Parenthood clinics until 2014, reveals that 43% of women chose pills instead of surgery – a rise from 35% in 2010.
The rapid growth of abortion pills comes after an FDA ruling that has made such medicines more accessible to women. The agency announced that it has loosened the guidelines on abortion pills, even while many states still maintain strict abortion laws.
Abortion pills won approval in the country 16 years ago, and immediately became the preferred method, overtaking surgery. But pro-life activists persuaded lawmakers to restrict the use of the medicines in many states, The Gazette says.
Mifepristone and misoprostol are the generic names of the two abortion pills. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone that makes pregnancy feasible, while misoprostol induces uterine contractions. Studies have shown that medically induced abortions are effective 95% of the time.
The pills are the preferred method for pregnancy termination in Europe, the highest rate in Finland at 91%, followed by Scotland at 80%, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Taking the pills help women in the first trimester of their pregnancies expel the fetus without surgery, but it does come with potential side effects. Experts recommend that pregnant women should talk to their doctors first before taking the pills, and avoid getting them online.
Pregnant women tend to favor abortion pills over surgery, Fortune says, because it’s more convenient and can be done at home with the guidance of friends or family. The pills also do away with surgical procedures and post-operative care. The pill method also keeps women away from possibly harmful situations at abortion sites where violent protests often take place.
