Medication for terminating pregnancy will not be effective in women with an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy cannot continue to full term and must be treated to save the woman’s life. Medication abortion cannot treat an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy outside the uterus, is a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterine cavity, found in 1 – 2 percent of pregnancies. Abortion medication is ineffective for ectopic pregnancies. After taking abortion medication, the ectopic pregnancy sac may still rupture, causing internal bleeding, which can be dangerous. Women seeking to terminate a pregnancy may already have an ectopic pregnancy, which is difficult to diagnose.
In early pregnancy, an ultrasound examination helps diagnose that it is not an ectopic pregnancy if a pregnancy sac is found within the uterine cavity. Examining the tissue expelled from the uterus after using medication to terminate the pregnancy can help confirm an intrauterine pregnancy.
In cases of suspicion, if a woman still has bleeding and abdominal cramps after using the medication, further examination is necessary to confirm whether there is an ectopic pregnancy.
Source: Guide for providing services before, during, and after medication abortion for clinic providers, WHO, Concept Foundation, SAAF, Department of Health Thailand.
Click to read more Symptoms and signs of ectopic pregnancy: https://rsathai.org/contents/585