Self-Managed Abortion
This page provides information and resources about self-managed abortion with pills. The contents of this webpage are for informational purposes only, they do not constitute medical or legal advice. And listing of these resources does not imply endorsement of any content.
When someone decides to end a pregnancy, they should be able to access the type of abortion care that will best meet their needs and situation, whether self-managed or with a provider.
We believe that no one should fear arrest or jail for ending their own pregnancy.
We need a world where everyone can decide what kind of care best fits their needs without fear of being criminalized.
However, we are not medical or legal professionals and cannot provide medical or legal advice for anyone. This page only provides basic medical and legal information about safe abortion using pills and self-managed abortion (SMA) in the United States. For more information about self-managed abortion with pills one can visit www.abortionpillinfo.org.
Abortion is a legal right in the United States, and as the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines affirm, pregnant people can safely self-manage their abortions up to 12 weeks. The reasons people decide to self-manage their abortion are as various as people’s lives. And we acknowledge the many reasons one may not want to have an abortion in a medical environment.
However, we also recognize that over-regulation, anti-abortion politics, and legal threats put people who manage their own abortions at risk of punishment, for what should be a protected decision. Our reality is that since 2000 over 23 people have been criminalized for self-managing abortion or helping someone else, and the legal rules differ in each state. To learn more about legal rules regulating self-managed abortion visit If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline at www.reprolegalhelpline.com.
It is also important to note that abortion pills are different from emergency contraception, also called “the morning after pill.” Abortion pills end a pregnancy. Emergency contraception is taken to prevent pregnancy, it will not cause an abortion.
Anyone who has decided to end their pregnancy with medication should understand how medication abortion works and how to use the medicines correctly. Information on how abortion pills work is available at www.abortionpillinfo.org.
Resources on self-managed abortion (SMA)
- Women Help Women (click for info in multiple languages)
- Women On Web (click for info in multiple languages)
- If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice for information on criminalization of self-managed abortion.
If you or someone you know is being investigated, detained, arrested, or concerned they might be questioned by the police for having an abortion, contact If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline.
Talklines
- Safe2choose has a chat line on their website with trained counselors to support people who have questions about abortion and/or abortion pills.
- POWERS offers counseling about all pregnancy options.
- Call Line (608) 514-1714 | M-F 9-5pm | urgencies 24/7
- M+A Hotline offers secure, anonymous support for people navigating a miscarriage or abortion. Get expert advice from experienced pro-choice doctors via phone or text.
- Call 1-833-246-2632
- All Options Talkline offers peer-based counseling, through unbiased, judgment-free support and referrals for any experiences with pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption.
- Call 1-888-493-0092
Research & Reports
- Self-managed Medication Abortion is a Guttmacher Institute report on expanding access to self-managed medication abortion in the United States.
- Roe’s Unfinished Promise: Decriminalizing Abortion Once and For All is the first comprehensive paper about the criminalization of non-clinical abortion in the United States, written by If/When/How.
