A Tale of Two FAQ Pages

What happens when a woman takes an abortion pill? 

On Planned Parenthood’s medical abortion page, under “What can I expect after I take the abortion pill?” — they tell women:

“You may feel tired or crampy for a day or so, and you’ll have bleeding and spotting for awhile. Most people go back to normal activities the day after a medication abortion.”

Here’s what the actual manufacturer of Mifeprex — the abortion pill — says in their own labelling.

“Bleeding or spotting can be expected for an average of 9 to 16 days and may last for up to 30 days. You may see blood clots and tissue.”

That is not “tired and crampy for a day or so.”

Planned Parenthood’s website talks vaguely of bleeding, cramping, nausea, “emptying your uterus,” and “pregnancy tissue” coming out. The abortion organisation compares the chemical abortion process to an early miscarriage. 

On Planned Parenthood’s miscarriage page, they’re much more forthcoming. They warn women that cramping can vary in intensity and length, and that passing large blood clots is common.

“Will I see the embryo or fetus during a miscarriage?” the FAQ page asks. You may, or you may not, the website coldly informs the poor woman who goes to it for advice during a miscarriage. The page then curtly describes what the fetus may look like depending on its gestational age and how it could be expelled during a miscarriage.

Oddly, far less information on the size of the embryo and what to expect is given on the chemical abortion page. 

After assuring women that medical abortion is safer than taking Tylenol, the organisation eventually lists out the risks and warnings: 

You may have to track how much blood you’re losing, 

You may have to go in for an ultrasound, 

You may still be pregnant, 

You may have to have a surgical abortion, 

You may get an infection. 

Tellingingly, in the FAQ, Planned Parenthood admits that some women feel “sad or regretful” after having an abortion, pointing them to third-party “non-judgmental” existential and even “spiritual” help. 

For women experiencing miscarriage, the website says:

“Take care of yourself physically and emotionally, and give yourself permission to grieve your loss if you need to. Grief and sadness are very normal responses to miscarriage. Try to surround yourself with supportive and loving people who will let you grieve and comfort you.”

“Have someone rub your back,” the mail-order abortion pill advocate unironically admonishes a woman experiencing the physical pain of a powerful abortion drug.  

Good grief.

Women deserve better. 

Above: Sam Marshall, Wisconsin Right to Life’s Director of Advocacy, Policy & Political Affairs breaks down the stark differences between Planned Parenthood’s FAQ pages for miscarriage and abortion.