Women in Austria can have a termination of pregnancy up to 63 days after the start of their last menstrual period without further ado.
Side effects
The most common side effects are bleeding, pain, nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort.
A systematic analysis of severe complications in over 95,000 medication abortions up to 63 days post-menstrual in clinics of the US-based Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) revealed that the complication rates for medication abortion outside of study conditions were 0.13% resulting in aspiration, 0.05% requiring transfusions, and 0.02% leading to infections treated with intravenous antibiotics.
Haemorrhage
Haemorrhage is one of the adverse effects of the therapy. All women suffer this consequence when they terminate their pregnancy. For most women, heavy bleeding is the most unpleasant side effect, but it shows that the treatment is working. It is important to be fully informed about the potential strength and duration.
Bleeding is heavier than usual in 70% of patients, while the remaining women experience bleeding that is either the same or lighter. The further along the pregnancy is, the more intense the bleeding tends to be. However, it typically normalizes within 30 to 48 hours. It is common to have spotting that lasts an average of 2 weeks, but sometimes up to 14 weeks until the follow-up examination. Occasionally, heavy bleeding may continue for up to four weeks after the therapy.
Pain
Pain is reported by approximately 75% of treated women. 43% require pain medication, typically taken orally and rarely as suppositories. These pains are usually easily manageable and respond well to treatment. A hot water bottle placed on the abdomen often provides sufficient relief. It is worth noting that just over half of treated women regularly experience pain, have pain medication at home, and are accustomed to managing pain.
Nausea
Approximately 40% of women report pregnancy-related nausea before starting treatment. In about 12% of cases, symptoms worsen after taking Mifegyne or occur for the first time. Extreme nausea can, in rare cases, lead to an immediate abortion by aspiration.