A New Danger: At-Home Abortions

On September 15, 2022, with Senate Bill 1, Indiana was the first state since the reversal of Roe v. Wade to ban abortion with few exceptions. It is considered one of the most restrictive bans on abortion to date. Men and women in Indiana experiencing unplanned pregnancies have felt panic and fear. With abortions unavailable to them in their home state, they look for abortions online.

Online searches often lead individuals to the option of the abortion pill, easily purchased from over 80 online sites. The selling of the abortion pill is not monitored outside of the United States. It is shipped to anyone in any state, often without a doctor’s appointment, ultrasound, or even a pregnancy test. No questions asked. Individuals are being sent what they believe are abortion pills; with no instructions, no medical information, no side effects or physical risk warnings, and no follow-up instructions. The devastation is unreal.

According to the FDA, abortion pills are considered safe and effective for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. However, with no questions asked and the availability of online purchasing, women are taking the pills past that time and into their second trimester. Pills are being purchased by women who are not yet pregnant “just in case” and by women with ectopic pregnancies in dire need of medical attention.

Clarity centers have received calls from emotionally traumatized women who have taken abortion pills incorrectly resulting in failed abortions; from women who are hemorrhaging and have no idea what medical interventions are available to them; and from women who have recently experienced a traumatic at-home abortion who are in desperate need of immediate emotional support.