The abortion pill is FDA-approved for ending a pregnancy up to 10 weeks (70 days from the first day of your last menstrual period). You can get it through an in-person clinic visit, a telehealth consultation with pills mailed to your home, or with a prescription filled at a certified retail pharmacy like CVS. Which option is available to you depends largely on your state.
Three Ways to Access the Abortion Pill
In-person clinic visit. Clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, or independent providers offer medication abortion with a same-day or next-day appointment in most cases. You’ll have a brief screening, confirm the pregnancy’s gestational age (usually with an ultrasound), and receive the pills before you leave. The average cost at Planned Parenthood is around $580, though prices vary by location and can run up to $800.
Telehealth consultation. Several licensed telehealth services provide medication abortion entirely online. You complete a health questionnaire, have a video or asynchronous consultation with a certified prescriber, and the pills arrive by mail, typically within a few days. Telehealth visits often cost less than in-person appointments. Eight states currently have shield laws that protect providers who prescribe across state lines, which expands access for people in restrictive states. However, nine states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia) explicitly prohibit telehealth for medication abortion or the mailing of abortion drugs.
Retail pharmacy pickup. CVS and other certified pharmacies now dispense mifepristone in select states where it is legally permissible. You still need a prescription from a healthcare provider certified under the FDA’s mifepristone safety program. The pharmacy cannot mail the medication to you; pickup is in person. Not every state allows pharmacy dispensing, even where abortion is otherwise legal, because some states require the pill to be given directly by a physician or in a clinical setting.
Finding a Verified Provider
AbortionFinder.org maintains the most comprehensive directory of verified abortion providers in the United States. It includes clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and the Abortion Care Network, along with independent providers and support organizations tied to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Entering your zip code will show you nearby clinics, telehealth options, and practical support resources. Plan C is another widely used resource that specifically maps online pill providers by state.
Be cautious with general web searches. “Crisis pregnancy centers” often appear in results alongside legitimate clinics but do not provide abortion care and may give misleading medical information. Using a verified directory helps you avoid them.
What the Two Pills Do
Medication abortion uses two drugs taken in sequence. The first pill, mifepristone, blocks the hormone progesterone, which a pregnancy needs to continue. Without progesterone, the uterine lining breaks down and the cervix begins to soften. You take one tablet by mouth on day one.
The second medication, misoprostol, is taken 24 to 48 hours later. You place four small tablets between your cheeks and gums and let them dissolve. Misoprostol triggers contractions that expel the pregnancy. Taking misoprostol outside the 24-to-48-hour window can reduce how well the regimen works.
What to Expect Physically
After the first pill, most people feel little or nothing. The real process starts one to four hours after taking the second set of pills. Heavy cramping and bleeding with blood clots are normal and expected over the next several hours. The core of the process typically takes two to six hours, though it can be longer.
Other common side effects include low-grade fever or chills lasting about a day, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and diarrhea. None of these are cause for alarm on their own.
Heavier bleeding continues for one to two days and then gradually tapers. You may have period-like bleeding for several days after, with lighter spotting continuing for two to three weeks. Most people feel well enough to return to normal activities within a day or two of taking the second pill.
Safety and Warning Signs
Medication abortion is very safe. In the most rigorous large-scale study, which tracked over 11,000 patients, only 0.31% experienced a major complication (meaning hospitalization, a blood transfusion, or surgery). That makes serious problems rare, but knowing the warning signs matters.
Seek emergency care if you soak through two or more thick pads per hour for two consecutive hours, develop a fever above 100.4°F that lasts more than 24 hours, or experience severe abdominal pain that doesn’t improve with ibuprofen and a heating pad. Foul-smelling discharge is another signal that something may need medical attention.
Cost and Financial Help
Out-of-pocket costs range from under $200 through some telehealth services to around $800 at certain clinics. Private insurance and Medicaid cover medication abortion in some states but not others. If cost is a barrier, the National Network of Abortion Funds connects people to local and national organizations that provide direct financial grants. Many funds also cover practical expenses like travel, lodging, and childcare. AbortionFinder.org lists these assistance resources alongside clinic results for your area.
How State Laws Affect Your Options
Where you live determines which of the three access routes are open to you. In states with near-total abortion bans, clinics do not offer the procedure, pharmacies cannot fill prescriptions, and telehealth providers based in those states cannot prescribe. The nine states that specifically ban telehealth or mailing of abortion pills add another layer of restriction.
Shield laws in eight states protect providers who prescribe to patients in restrictive states via telehealth, creating a legal gray area that some services operate within. If you live in a state with heavy restrictions, a verified directory like AbortionFinder.org or Plan C can help you understand what is currently available, including whether a telehealth service operating under a shield law will ship to your location or whether traveling to a neighboring state is the most reliable path.