FAQs
Hopefully, the following FAQs answer many of your questions. If we didn’t cover something you’re looking for — don’t hesitate to contact us.
We totally understand your concerns. We want you to feel comfortable with your
healthcare provider.
Choices Rising is a member of the Abortion Care Network. We are a virtual clinic committed to making it easier for people in rural communities to get abortion care.
If you decide that getting medication abortion mailed from us isn’t right for you, we respect that!
We encourage you to explore in-clinic options. Here’s a link to see what clinics are close to you Abortion Finder.
You need to do what is best for you! And we are here for you if you decide you’re ready to get your medicine at home.
“Abortion with pills,” also called a medication abortion, is a modern option for ending an early pregnancy (before 10 weeks) safely and effectively through a combination of medications: mifepristone and misoprostol.
Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone which stops the growth of the pregnancy and misoprostol causes the uterus to cramp and expel what’s within, effectively inducing miscarriage.
Abortion with pills:
Mifepristone plus misoprostol: You take the mifepristone pill first, followed by 24 to 48 hours later with misoprostol pills.
This is the most effective method of abortion with pills (95-98% of the abortions are successful).
It has the fewest side effects and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This is the type of abortion with pills recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The typical experience involves a day of heavy bleeding and cramping. It’s best to use this method in a comfortable and safe environment.
this method is very effective and safe. It is also widely used by women around the world.
Watch the video How Do Abortion Pills Work? to better understand the process.
It’s rare to have a medical condition that would make medication abortion unsafe.
Prior to getting treatment with Choices Rising, a provider will go over your intake questionnaire responses to make sure treatment with Choices Rising is safe for you.
Choices Rising does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, body size, immigration status, religion, parental status, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.
To verify the identity of the pregnant person, we ask them to upload a photo of their ID with their name, photo, and date of birth.
We require the person who is pregnant to complete our intake process for both the medical safety of the patient and to meet legal requirements.
Additionally, in order to be confirmed for treatment with Choices Rising, patients must meet our medical eligibility requirements—which patients will be asked about during the intake process. This allows us to safely approve and prescribe medications.
If for some reason patients don’t meet our medical eligibility requirements, we may recommend that they go get an ultrasound before treatment or seek in-person care.
Using abortion pills is very safe.
Abortion pills are safest for pregnancies of less than 10 weeks (less than 70 days, counting from the first day of the last regular period).
The rate of major complications during an early abortion is very low, and the earlier in pregnancy you get an abortion, the lower the chances are of complications.
Mifepristone plus misoprostol as a combination are very effective in terminating the pregnancy.
One risk is that abortion pills may not work (they may not end the pregnancy). Most providers recommend doing a pregnancy test 4 weeks after taking the pills to make sure they worked. If the test is positive, it is important to get follow-up care.
Note: a pregnancy test done earlier than 3-4 weeks after an abortion may show a false positive because it takes time for the pregnancy hormones to leave the body.
Another risk is if the pregnancy is outside the womb. This is called an ectopic or tubal pregnancy. This is very rare (only about 2 of every 100 pregnancies). In these cases, the abortion pills will not work and the person will need immediate medical attention, which can be obtained at any medical facility.
Because of this small risk, it is important to always do a pregnancy test 3-4 weeks after taking the pills and to seek immediate care if the test is positive. It is also important to seek care if there are any continued signs or symptoms of pregnancy after the abortion
(such as severe and increasing abdominal pain, particularly if it is one sided). Ectopic pregnancy is rare but can lead to serious health consequences.
Abortion pills are FDA approved up to the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
This calculator can help you know how many weeks pregnant you are (based on the first day of your last normal period).
People who don’t know the first day of their last period or who have periods that don’t come regularly may need to have an ultrasound or pelvic exam to find out how many weeks pregnant they are.
Here are some tips to help you get ready before you take the pills.
Pick up a few items from your local pharmacy or online store:
Other helpful tips and things to have:
Choose a time when you will take each medicine.
Drink plenty of water during the treatment process
Review treatment instructions and what to expect
Heavy bleeding, cramping, nausea, fever or chills are common side effects in the first 24 hours after taking the second medicine (misoprostol). Emergencies from this treatment are rare, and most symptoms can be treated from home with pain medicine and rest.
Make a safety plan in case you need emergency medical help. It’s very unlikely, but it’s important to be ready.
▪ Identify the closest emergency room. You should be able to get there in 1 hour or less.
▪ Determine how you would get to the emergency room. It’s not safe to drive yourself in an emergency situation.
Abortion pills cause bleeding and cramping. This is a natural part of the abortion process
and shows that the pills are working. Many people do not have any symptoms after taking the first pill (Mifepristone). The bleeding and cramping usually start soon after taking the second set of pills (Misoprostol).
The bleeding may be heavier than a normal period and the cramping can be mild to severe. This can vary for each person and by how far along the pregnancy is.
Other common side effects include feeling sick to your stomach, throwing up, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and fevers.
The website How To Use Abortion Pill has great information about what you can expect when you take the pills and how to manage side effects.
Throughout your treatment, we’re here to support you.
If you don’t find the answer to your question in this guide, you can always send Choices Rising a message, and you should get a response within 24 hours.
Check out our Resources page for many support options, including talk/text lines and websites for things like emotional support during/after an abortion and much more.
Serious complications from this treatment are rare, and most side effects can be managed from home.
For urgent concerns, we’ll give you a phone number to reach a provider 24/7 or you should go to your nearest emergency department.
Emergencies: When to Urgently Contact a Provider
If you have any of the following at any time:
If you have any of these at least 24 hours after taking the Misoprostol pills in Step 2:
One week after taking the pills, if you have any of the following:
▪ You do not feel that you passed the pregnancy
▪ Your pregnancy symptoms (such as nausea and breast tenderness/soreness) are not getting better
▪ Cramping or bleeding is not getting better
▪ You have a fever of 100.4 F or higher (fever is common during the first 24 hours)
▪ Your belly pain is getting worse
The simple answer to this complicated question is NO.
There is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication or treatment you can take to reverse your medication abortion.
No reliable medical studies have shown that medication abortions can be reversed.
There is insufficient scientific data to claim that medication abortion reversal treatments are reliable, effective, or safe. This is why several medical and scientific organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the FDA, reject false claims about medication abortion reversal.
Mifepristone (the first medication taken) is a drug that blocks a hormone called progesterone. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus breaks down and the pregnancy cannot continue.
Mifepristone may cause birth defects in an unborn baby if the treatment procedure does not fully terminate the pregnancy.
The more complicated answer is that some small studies show that if you do not take the second medication (misoprostol) after taking the first (mifepristone), the abortion is less likely to work, meaning pregnancies continue.
If you have questions about your abortion decision, please visit out resource tab where
you will find many organizations that can support you in making the right choice for you.
You should have cramping and bleeding after taking the second medicine (Misoprostol), usually as heavy or heavier than your period.
Your pregnancy symptoms (nausea, breast soreness) should start to go away and disappear within about 1 week after using the pills. This is a good sign that you are no longer pregnant.
A pregnancy test will stay positive for about 4 weeks after the treatment (even if you are no longer pregnant), so it’s important not to take one sooner.
In the rare event that the treatment does not work, the abortion must be completed, since Misoprostol has a small risk of birth defects. Additionally, if you have not passed the pregnancy after taking the medications, you may need to be evaluated at a healthcare facility to make sure you do not have an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus).
If the medications don’t work, you may be able to take another round of medicines or you will need to get an in-clinic procedural abortion.
At Choices Rising we will be with you every step of the way to make sure you get the care you need.
To find abortion clinics near you, go to I Need An A or visit our Resources page.
The expenses for providing care to one patient is $197 (including the pharmacy fee).
We accept credit, debit card payments.
We do not accept private insurance at this time.
At the moment we can only accept Partnership Health of California for California
residents.
Your medications will be shipped by our mail-order pharmacy partner, Honeybee Health.
You’ll receive an email from them once your prescription has been submitted by one of our health care providers. The email includes important information, including your tracking number. The email will come from noreply@honeybeehealth.com.
If you don’t see it, try checking your spam folder.
The package will arrive in a plain white packaging to protect your privacy. The return address is listed as “HH” to ensure it’s not obvious who the sender is.
Once we’ve received your request for medical abortion, a provider will review your information within 24-48 business hours (weekends and holidays excluded). If you’re approved for treatment, your prescription will be submitted to our mail-order pharmacy partner, Honeybee.
The pharmacy will mail the medication directly to your address via USPS Standard Shipping which should arrive in 3-5 business days.
For patients with PO box shipping addresses, our pharmacy partner will mail using USPS options.
If you do not reside in California or Hawaii, feel free to research the possibility of obtaining a virtual mailing address.
Business days are M-F 8:30am to 5:00pm PST. Saturday and Sunday are not business days.
In other words, medications are not prescribed and packages are not shipped on Saturday or Sunday. Occasionally, further delays may come into play.
Unfortunately, no.
In order to meet state regulations, you must be physically located in California or Hawaii to begin the treatment process and have the medications mailed to your location.
Depending on how far along your pregnancy is, you may have different abortion options available to you—some of this depends on the laws in your state.
It may be harder to find a healthcare provider to do an abortion after 11 or 12 weeks of pregnancy in some states, so it’s important to try to have the abortion as soon as possible, if that’s what you choose.
To find out more about what is legal in your state and where to go if you are at a later stage in your pregnancy and want an abortion, visit Ineedana.com.
The Guttmacher Institute also provides a state-by-state breakdown of current Abortion Laws – see An Overview of Abortion Laws. All links can be found on our Resources page, too.
No. After submitting the initial intake questionnaire, you can opt for your preferred method of communication such as email, text message, phone communication, or request a call or a video consultation.
Medication Abortion Refund Policy:
As per our Refund Policy found in the Terms and Conditions, the $20 consultation fee is nonrefundable.
Once a provider has begun reviewing your questionnaire or has submitted your prescription to our partner pharmacy, a refund is not possible.
If you have any questions call (707) 200-8291 as soon as possible.
We are based in Eureka, California and provide virtual services in CA and HI, and are tirelessly working on expanding our services to more states.
We are available Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST, but you can always submit a request for care, call and leave a message, email or text us, and we will get back to you as soon as possible even outside of regular business hours.
We are committed to providing prompt and accessible care to anyone in need.
Patient
I was scared, and a bit sad but, the doctor showed me support and kindness. I am so grateful I chose Choices Rising.”
Don’t normally leave reviews but my experience was worth one…definitely a judge free experience. Simple steps to follow too!”
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