Our current guidelines support using medication abortion up to 11 weeks, 0 days.

Medication abortion should NOT be used when people have any of the following conditions, all of which are rare:

• Signs that the pregnancy might be ectopic, which means that it is growing outside the uterus

• Failure of the adrenal glands

• Allergies to mifepristone or misoprostol

• Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia

• Inherited porphyria, a genetic disease of the skin and nervous system

• Use of certain medications, including steroids or anticoagulants (blood thinners)

• Use of an IUD during the pregnancy. An IUD is a contraceptive device that is placed in a person’s uterus. Examples of IUDs include Paragard, Mirena, Skyla, Liletta, and Kyleena.

To estimate how far along your pregnancy is now, use the  Gestational Age Estimator.

Some people choose medication abortion because they prefer completing the abortion in the comfort of their own home and setting the timing of their abortion around their work, childcare or life-demands. Many people have the impression that the medication abortion will be “easier” than the in-office procedure. This may be true for some, but it is important to note that it can be very crampy and take several hours to days to complete.

If you have regular menstrual periods about once a month, simply counting the number of days since the first day of your last menstrual period usually gives an accurate estimate of how far along the pregnancy is.

To use this method to estimate the length of the pregnancy, use the Gestational Age Estimator.

If you do not have regular, normal menstrual periods or do not remember the date your last period started, this method will not work well. In such cases, we’ll work with you to arrange for an ultrasound before your medication abortion.

Current guidelines support medication abortion without ultrasound. But not having an ultrasound does carry some risks:

If the pregnancy is much more than 11 weeks along, the chance of abortion failure increases, which could result in heavy bleeding and the need for a procedure to complete the abortion.

If the pregnancy is an ectopic pregnancy – i.e., it is growing outside the uterus, usually in the tube – the treatment will not work to end the pregnancy, and the detection of the condition may be delayed. Ectopic pregnancy is quite rare but it can be dangerous. It is usually treated with a surgical procedure or with medication.

If you are 16 or older, you can get an abortion without parental involvement.

If you are UNDER 16 (15 years old or younger), Montana state law requires that one of your parents or a guardian be notified of your decision 48 hours before your abortion.

Please schedule an appointment as soon as possible for help navigating the notification law. We can help explain the law and let you know your options.

If you don’t know how to talk with your parent, we are here to help you prepare for that conversation.

If you cannot talk with your parents, a judge may be able to excuse notifying them — this is called "judicial bypass." But if you need a judicial bypass, it can take time to get through the system. If/When/How is an organization that offers support for minors navigating the judicial bypass process.

You could have a procedure abortion, in which the abortion provider uses suction (aspiration) or other methods to remove the pregnancy from the uterus. Procedure abortions must be done in a clinic. Like medication abortions, they are very safe and effective.

Or, you could decide not to have an abortion at all, and instead continue the pregnancy. Once you give birth, you could either raise the child yourself or place the child for adoption.