When should you contact a health care provider after an abortion?

Your abortion provider should give you information about when and how to contact them after an abortion, but if they don’t, ask them for emergency contact information and for what things to watch out for. 



Generally though, contact your abortion provider (or your regular health care provider) after an abortion procedure if you experience:




• Excessive bleeding (defined as soaking two pads per hour for two hours)

• Fever higher than 100.4

• Pain that is getting worse or that doesn’t go away with over-the-counter painkillers


And contact your abortion provider during/after a medication abortion if you experience:



• No bleeding yet and it’s been 24 hours since you took misoprostol, the second medication (the one you take at home)

• Excessive bleeding (defined as soaking two pads per hour for two hours; keep in mind that bleeding may be heavy and you may pass blood clots though)

• Fever higher than 100.4

• Chills

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that continues for more than 24 hours after taking the misoprostol, the second medication, which you take at home (keep in mind that nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are considered normal side effects and are not a cause for concern in the first 24 hours after taking misoprostol)

• Pain that is getting worse or that doesn’t go away with over-the-counter painkillers