Are abortion pills safe? Here is the proof.

More than 100 scientific studies, spanning continents and decades, have examined the efficacy and safety of mifepristone and misoprostol, the abortion pills commonly used in the United States. All conclude that the pills are a safe method of terminating a pregnancy.

Small icons of scientific articles are lined up in a grid, each representing a medical abortion study.

A large majority of studies report that over 99% of patients who took the pills had no serious complications. These rare complications can include hospitalization, blood transfusions, or major surgeries.

Safety of abortion pills Share of patients in each study who did not experience serious complications

A bar chart showing a majority of studies in the Times journal found that most patients had no serious complications.

50 studies

In 86 of 101 studies, almost no patients

had serious complications.

Less secure

10 studies

100%

safe

In 86 of 101 studies, almost no patients

had serious complications.

Less secure

Abortion providers often say the pills are safer than many common drugs, such as Tylenol and Viagra. Drug safety experts don't usually compare drugs in this way and instead rate the safety of a given drug against other choices.

For pregnant women considering medical abortion, the alternatives would be childbirth or procedural abortion.

Serious complication rate

Option

Complication rate

procedural abortion