What New Research Reveals About Abortion Pill Complications

As we deal with reproductive health in 2025, it is important to discuss sensitive topics clearly and carefully. The Women's Center of Eastern Connecticut supports women at every step of their journey with caring guidance, clear information, and a safe space for exploration. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claimed for years that the abortion pill was safe and effective. Clinical trials reported serious complications in fewer than 0.5% of cases. However, new research from 2025 indicates that the risks and complications are much more common and confirmatory ultrasounds are absolutely essential in protecting women’s health.

Key Findings from the 2025 EPPC Study

What is this new information? A study from April 2025 by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) looked at insurance claims from women who used the abortion pill. This research looked at over 865,000 cases, and it suggests that the abortion pill may not be as safe as previously thought. One in ten women experienced serious side effects.

Here are the study's most striking insights[1]:

• Core Statistic: 10.93% of women who took mifepristone had severe or life-threatening complications within 45 days. This rate is at least 22 times higher than the “less than 0.5%” previously reported by the FDA.

• Types of Complications: Complications included sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging, which can all be life-threatening. Each requires immediate medical care to treat.

• Human Impact: These are not just numbers. They show real women facing physical and emotional pain, along with unexpected medical bills.

Why the Discrepancy in Safety Data?

The current FDA-approved drug label is based on 10 clinical trials. These trials included a total of 30,966 participants. In those trials, less than 0.5% of participants experienced serious adverse reactions. This data is based on trials that took place more than 10 years ago.[2]

Additionally, the FDA conducted its trials in controlled environments, which did not account for real-world variables. Key differences between clinical trials and real-world data include:

• Ideal Trial Conditions: Clinical trials often occur in controlled environments where participants are closely monitored, gestational ages are precisely confirmed, and follow-up care is provided as needed.

• Relaxed Real-World Protocols: In contrast, the relaxed protocols of recent years — allowing self-administration at home without in-person verification — expose women to variables like undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies or later-stage pregnancies, both of which increase the risk of serious complications.

Serious Abortion Pill Complications

The primary abortion pill complications highlighted in the study include[3]:

• Hemorrhaging: Prolonged, heavy bleeding that requires blood transfusions or emergency surgery to treat.[4]

• Sepsis: Sepsis, a severe infection, can be caused by an incomplete abortion. Sepsis can cause organ failure, tissue damage, and even death if untreated.[5]

• Emergency Interventions: Frequent ER visits, hospitalizations, and surgical procedures to treat hemorrhaging and sepsis.

The abortion pill involves more than just cramps and discomfort. It can lead to serious, life-threatening complications that can have lasting impacts on women’s health. This is why personalized care is so important.

Why You Need an Ultrasound Before an Abortion 

The original FDA guidelines from 2000 mandated in-person visits and ultrasounds, but eventually removed these mandates. With telehealth expansions, many women now proceed without an ultrasound, increasing the risk of serious complications. 

Please know that an ultrasound isn't just an extra step, it's a safeguard to protect your health. It determines two key factors about your pregnancy: viability and gestational age. 

Viability 

A viable pregnancy indicates that the pregnancy is progressing normally and has the potential to continue to term. During an ultrasound, technicians check for signs like a detectable heartbeat, which typically appears around 6 weeks of gestation.[6]

Having an ultrasound before abortion also helps rule out nonviable pregnancies, such as miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies (where the embryo implants outside the uterus). In these cases, abortion is not necessary. Alternative medical care is actually required, especially for ectopic pregnancies, which can be life-threatening if untreated.

Gestational Age

Gestational age refers to how far along you are in your pregnancy, measured from the first day of your last menstrual period. 

Knowing your gestational age is crucial. Abortion is only legal up until viability in Connecticut, though exceptions can be made after viability to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.[7] Viability refers to the point in pregnancy when a fetus is developed enough to survive outside the womb with medical help, which occurs at approximately 24 weeks of pregnancy.[8] 

Additionally, the abortion pill (mifepristone) is only FDA-approved for use up to 10 weeks of gestation.[9]

The Women's Center of Eastern Connecticut can help you get the information you need to make a health-conscious decision. We provide free ultrasounds to women who receive positive pregnancy tests at our center, so you can find out how far along you are in your pregnancy. Schedule your appointment today.

Get the Facts on the Abortion Pill at The Women's Center of Eastern Connecticut 

The Women's Center of Eastern Connecticut believes you deserve to know all the facts, including possible complications of the abortion pill. When you have the facts, you can make informed, empowered decisions.

Whatever you’re facing, we’re ready to help. Schedule a confidential ultrasound or consultation today by calling 860-576-8072 or scheduling your appointment online. All services are confidential and free of charge.

Please be aware that The Women's Center of Eastern Connecticut does not provide or refer for abortion services.

Sources

1. Ethics & Public Policy Center. (2025, April 28). Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event. https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/

2. See source 1.

3. See source 1.

4. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 24). Hemorrhage: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Types. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/hemorrhage

5. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 24). Sepsis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12361-sepsis 

6. Cleveland Clinic. (2023, March 3). Fetal Development. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7247-fetal-development-stages-of-growth

7. Connecticut General Attorney. (2022, July 1). Public Act No. 22-19. https://cga.ct.gov/2022/ACT/PA/PDF/2022PA-00019-R00HB-05414-PA.PDF     

8. Breborowicz, G. (2001, January). Limits of fetal viability and its enhancement. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11753511/ 

9. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2023, March 23). Mifeprex (Mifepristone). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/mifeprex-mifepristone-information