Emergency Contraception versus Medical Abortion
Plan B® is a brand name of emergency contraceptive commonly referred to as the morning after pill that is the single most promising avenue for preventing unintended pregnancy and abortion. Mifepristone, brand name Mifeprex, is a legal, safe and effective early abortion option.  Emergency ContraceptiveEmergency Contraceptive (EC) prevents a pregnancy after intercourse. EC is most effective when taken as soon after unprotected intercourse as possible, and can be effective up to five days after intercourse. Plan B® and Preven™ are common brand names of emergency contraception. EC is a high dose of ordinary birth control pills. The FDA has approved EC as safe and effective for pregnancy prevention after unprotected intercourse, and approved over-the-counter status for EC for women 18 and older. Women under 18 still need a prescription. EC does not cause abortion; instead, like ordinary birth control pills, it prevents ovulation or fertilization before pregnancy occurs - it will not work once a pregnancy has begun. In fact, if a woman is pregnant Plan B® will have no effect and will not harm the pregnancy.  Medical Abortion
Mifepristone, commonly known as RU 486 or Mifeprex, terminates a pregnancy. Mifepristone is safe and simple, and is more than 96% efficient up to the ninth week of pregnancy. It is approved by the FDA to terminate pregnancies of up to seven weeks. Mifepristone is an early abortion option, reducing the need for surgical abortions. More than one million women in more than 20 countries around the world have used the drug safely for early abortion. Mifeprex, sometimes referred to as the “abortion pill,” is taken under the supervision of a doctor. A woman takes a 600 milligram dose of Mifepristone in her doctor’s office after it has been determined that a woman is pregnant. Two days later, the patient returns to her doctor’s office for an injection or pill form of prostaglandin. Within another two to five days, she has vaginal blood flow, similar to a heavy menstrual period. She returns to her doctor for a check-up to ensure that the abortion is complete and the bleeding is controlled.
Pregnancy Prevention versus Pregnancy Termination
Emergency contraception and Mifepristone are safe, effective and legal health care options for women in the United States. Plan B® prevent pregnancy and do not cause abortion. Mifeprix is an early abortion option instead of a surgical procedure to terminate pregnancy.
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