Hey Jane

Still have questions?

What are my pregnancy options and how do I decide what to do?

For a full overview of your options (including pregnancy, different types of abortion, and adoption), please check out our Options Counseling page.

For more support in making a decision, you can call or text the All Options Talkine.

What is medication abortion and how does it work?

Medication abortion (also called the abortion pill) is a safe and effective way to end an early pregnancy. It was approved by the FDA in 2000 to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks. Today, nearly 40% of abortions in the US are done with medications. The simple treatment involves taking two medicines over a couple days.

The first medicine you take is mifepristone, which blocks the pregnancy hormone (progesterone) and stops the pregnancy from growing. Then, 24-48 hours later you take a second medicine, called misoprostol. Misoprostol causes cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus.

You can expect bleeding like a heavy period. Taken together, these two pills work up to 98 out of 100 times to end an early pregnancy.

After you take mifepristone (the first medication), you must complete the abortion. If treatment with medication does not work the first time, you may have the option to repeat the medicines or you will need an in-clinic procedural abortion. Hey Jane will be with you every step of the way to make sure you get the support and care you need.

Who can get a medication abortion with Hey Jane?

For now, we're offering treatment for people (anyone with a uterus) in New York and Washington. We're expanding to more states soon.
People who are 18 and older. We plan to provide care for people younger than 18 soon.
People who have a gestational age of 10 weeks or less. Gestational age is how long you've been pregnant. It's measured from the first day of your last menstrual period.

If you have any of the following, you might not be able to get treatment with Hey Jane:

Irregular periods
History of an ectopic pregnancy or tubal ligation (having your tubes tied)

It's rare to have a medical condition that would make medication abortion unsafe. Prior to getting treatment with Hey Jane, a provider will go over your medical history to make sure treatment with Hey Jane is safe for you.

Is medication abortion with Hey Jane safe?

Abortion, regardless of the type you have, is very safe. Having an abortion does not cause breast cancer or mental health issues. It also does not make it harder to have children in the future.

Hey Jane uses the same evaluation procedures and medications as an in-person medication abortion. Therefore, if you follow the instructions, we expect that it will be equally effective and safe. Complications from this treatment are very uncommon - they occur in less than 1% of patients. When used correctly, the medications work up to 98% of the time.

Hey Jane has several potential advantages over an in-person abortion with pills:

You don’t have to go in person to a clinic, which may make it more convenient and less costly.
You may be able to schedule the video evaluation sooner than you could go to a clinic for treatment.
It be more private because you can speak with a Hey Jane provider from your home.

Hey Jane may also have disadvantages for some:

If someone other than you opens the package that you're mailed, they could find out that you are having an abortion.

Since Hey Jane does not require blood tests or ultrasounds:

Your risk for an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus) may be increased. Ectopic pregnancies are very rare.
It is possible that your pregnancy dating (how far along you are in your pregnancy) could be inaccurate. Taking the abortion pills later in your pregnancy is not unsafe; however, you can have more bleeding or the treatment may not work.

While very unlikely, if the treatment does not work or if you any problem occurs, your Hey Jane provider will make sure you get the care you need every step of the way.

Is abortion safe? What are the risks?

Abortion is very safe, regardless of which kind you have. In fact, abortion is one of the safest medical procedures out there.

Complications occur in less than 0.4% of people for medication abortion, and less than 1% for in-clinic procedural abortion.

There are a lot of rumors about abortion and many aren't true. Abortion does not lower your chances of getting or staying pregnant in the future. Abortion does not cause infertility or cause birth defects in a future pregnancy. In fact, you can get pregnant almost immediately after having an abortion.

Having an abortion does not increase your risk for breast cancer and does not cause depression or mental health issues.

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Medication Abortion

Medication abortion is about 4 times safer than aspirin and 14 times safer than continuing a pregnancy.

Complications are rare and most are not serious.

The most common complication is a continued pregnancy. If the pregnancy continues after taking the abortion pill, you may be able to take more medicine or you will need to have an abortion procedure.
Serious risks, such as heavy bleeding and infection, are very rare.

One type of pregnancy that cannot be ended using pills is an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus) - ectopic pregnancies are very rare. Medication abortion does not end an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies can be life threatening, so it's important to follow up with a doctor if you still feel pregnant one week after taking the pills. Contact your doctor immediately if: you do not have bleeding within 24 hours after taking the medications, you continue to feel pregnant about 7 days after taking the medications, or you have worsening abdominal pain more than 24 hours after taking the medications.

How do I know if I'm pregnant and how long I've been pregnant for?

Most people find out that they are pregnant if they are sexually active and miss their period. Symptoms of early pregnancy include nausea/vomiting, breast tenderness, and fatigue (feeling tired). The only way to know for certain if you are pregnant is with an ultrasound or pregnancy test (a urine or blood test). You can do a urine pregnancy test from the first day you missed your period and after. Before this time, the level of hormones made by the pregnancy might be too low to show up on the test.

If your period is regular (it comes around the same time every month), you can use the date of your last period to figure out how far along the pregnancy is. Count from the first day of your last menstrual period, include that day and start counting up until today. If you have an irregular period or have been on birth control recently, this might not be accurate. In this case, we suggest seeking care at a healthcare facility. Find out where to get in-person care on our Resources page.

How many weeks into pregnancy do I need to make a decision?

You may have different options available to you depending on where you live (and the laws in your state). It may be harder to get an abortion after 11 or 12 weeks of pregnancy in some states, so it’s important to try to have the abortion as soon as possible, if that’s what you choose.

If you might continue your pregnancy, start taking a daily prenatal vitamin.

Be careful when looking for a reliable health center. There are fake clinics called ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ managed by anti-abortion activists. At these facilities, they may not offer you all the facts about your pregnancy options. Visit our Resources page for more.

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Abortion pills,

delivered.

How it works

1

Check if you’re eligible

2

Meet with a licensed provider

3

Get your treatment delivered

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Abortion Pills 101

Meet Hey Jane: modern, virtual abortion care

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appointment now

Still have questions?

Abortion pills,

delivered.

How it works

1

Check if you’re eligible

2

Meet with a licensed provider

3

Get your treatment delivered

Meet with U.S.-licensed medical providers from top institutions

Abortion Pills 101

Meet Hey Jane: modern, virtual abortion care

In the press

Book your appointment now

Still have questions?

Book your
appointment now