,
29 tweets,
6 min read
Read on Twitter
Today we will tell you why this is a dangerous and unnecessary bill and how medication abortion works.
There is absolutely no credible, medically accepted evidence indicating that a medication abortion can be “reversed.” It’s unacceptable to mandate lying to those seeking reproductive healthcare.
In fact, @ACOG says, Claims regarding abortion “reversal” treatment are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards.
OK politicians are pushing legislation to force physicians to falsely inform patients that a medication abortion can be “reversed” w/ doses of progesterone. This is simply not based in fact or scientific evidence.
The so-called abortion “reversal” study was not supervised by an institutional review board (IRB) or an ethical review committee, which is required to protect human research subjects, raising serious questions regarding the ethics and scientific validity of the results.
BOTTOM LINE: There is no high quality, rigorous data showing that medication abortion reversal is possible and, therefore, this treatment is still experimental. The latest study is flawed and includes incomplete information.
Politicians should never mandate that healthcare providers give their patients inaccurate information about an unproven treatment. Forcing unproven treatments on women compromises patient care, erodes doctor-patient trust, and perpetuates abortion stigma
So what is a Medication Abortion and who can use it and how does it work?
Medication abortion is the use of medications, rather than surgery, to end a pregnancy.
Medication abortion is the use of medications, rather than surgery, to end a pregnancy.
A medication abortion is not just one “abortion pill,” but a combination of two medications prescribed by a physician that work together to terminate a pregnancy and shed the uterine lining.
Who can use it? Med. abortion is a safe (& common) procedure for terminating 1st trimester pregnancies (up to 10 wks). Acc. to stats from PP, a medication abortion is 98% effective up to 8 wks into a pregnancy. Frm 8-9 wks, about 96% effective, & then 93% effective frm 9-10 wks
How does it work? The two medicines used are mifepristone and misoprostol.
mifepristone, which is taken first, works by blocking progesterone — a hormone necessary to sustain pregnancy — and causing the embryo to detach from the uterine wall.
mifepristone, which is taken first, works by blocking progesterone — a hormone necessary to sustain pregnancy — and causing the embryo to detach from the uterine wall.
Misoprostol is taken within a day or two after taking the first pill, usually at home, and works by causing cramping that empties the uterus, kind of like a period.
What to expect: Mifepristone--Taken first, mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone and prevents the pregnancy from growing. A few people feel nauseated or experience bleeding, but most experience no side effects
Taken alone, mifepristone is less, effective, especially later in pregnancy
Misoprostol is taken 6-72 hours later, misoprostol, opens the cervix and starts uterine contractions to complete the abortion.
Misoprostol is taken 6-72 hours later, misoprostol, opens the cervix and starts uterine contractions to complete the abortion.
This causes cramping and bleeding, similar to a heavy menstrual period or an early miscarriage. Abortion with pills works 98-99% of the time with both drugs.
According to an article in Cosmopolitan magazine you might experience the following: It’s not abnormal to see large clumps of tissue or blood clots after taking the misoprostol (Planned Parenthood says these can be up to the size of a lemon).
The bleeding should start to subside after a few hours, usually around four to five, but can take longer. Cramping will continue for a day or two and decrease in intensity with time.
If you’re feeling pain or nausea, your doctor can prescribe an anti-nausea medication and you can take ibuprofen — just don’t take aspirin, which is a blood thinner and can cause more bleeding.
Bleeding and spotting might continue for two to three weeks after the abortion. Your doctor will have you come back in for a follow up, where you’ll get a blood test and possibly another ultrasound to make sure the abortion was complete and you’re healthy.
How to get it: Visit your local abortion clinic. In OKC there is @PPGreatPlainsOK & @TrustWomen , PP is also in Tulsa along with Reproductive Health Services.
The solutions to be had here include: We must trust women to know what’s best for themselves and their families. Credible research shows that women are very certain about their decision and it’s extremely rare for someone to change their mind after seeking abortion care.
It’s imperative that patients receive truthful, accurate, & evidence-based info abt their health care. It is unacceptable & deceptive for patients to receive inaccurate or insufficient info ahead of any procedure or taking OTC medicine & we must hold abortion to same standards
Both ACOG and the American Medical Association agree that there is no reliable evidence that medication abortion can, in fact, be ‘reversed.’
Patients need the same standards for abortion care that they would receive for any health care, which means information based on research and science, not deceptive, ideological-driven claims.
We should support doctors so that they can help their patients make critical and accurate decisions about their health care, including abortion care.
Protect and Expand Access instead of working to restrict access to abortion, we must provide the evidence-based research that allows policymakers to pass proactive state and local measures that protects and expands abortion access.
Politicians have no place in the exam room, and we must reject all efforts that force doctors to recite unsupported claims about treatments to ‘reverse’ the abortion pill or direct patients to sites promoting such care
@threadreaderapp unroll
