Medication Abortion
Columbia Health provides medication for medication abortions. If you’re interested in a medication abortion through Columbia Health, begin by contacting Medical Services at 212-854-7426 or fill out the MAB at Columbia Health Form.
Medication abortion at Columbia Health
Medication abortion at Columbia Health is covered by the full-time Columbia Health and Related services fee. Your health insurance plan will not be billed.
If you’d like a medication abortion, you need to attend an in-person visit with Medical Services. Your provider will help you determine what process would best fit your needs.
The appropriate pregnancy termination method depends on the number of weeks you have been pregnant, existing medical conditions, etc. Please note that at Columbia Health, you must be less than 10 weeks pregnant to terminate a pregnancy via medication. To learn about other pregnancy termination options, please read our guide.
If a medication abortion is appropriate, Medical Services will provide the medication and education about what to expect, as well as how to complete the abortion.
Who is eligible?
Medical and lab services are available to all students who have paid the full-time Columbia Health and Related Services fee on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses, including those at Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, and Jewish Theological Seminary.
For those who have not paid the full-time health services fee, please email Alice! Health Promotion at [email protected] or call 212-843-5453 for support.
How do I get a medication abortion?
You may begin the process with Medical Services or Alice! Health Promotion.
Medical Services
Call Medical Services at 212-854-7426 and ask to speak with a clinical team member about your options. If a medication abortion is clinically appropriate, you will be scheduled for an in-person appointment with the Medication Abortion team.
If this method is not appropriate for you, your provider will discuss your options and refer you to off-campus resources.
Alice! Health Promotion
Alice! Health Promotion can help you learn more about pregnancy options, the medication abortion process at Columbia Health, what to expect during your Medical Services visit, and can connect you with the Medication Abortion Team. To schedule a meeting, fill out the intake form. You will be prompted to log in with your UNI and password. This helps us protect your confidentiality and ensure that you’re an enrolled student.
If you’d like to learn more but don’t want to share your UNI, you may visit Health Education drop-in hours, Sexual and Reproductive Health drop-ins, or call the Alice! office at 212-854-5453 during business hours.
Note that Alice! does not administer medication.
How much will it cost?
The virtual consultation, in-person visit, medication, and follow-up visit are all covered by the full-time Columbia Health and Related Services Fee. There is no additional cost, and your health insurance plan will not be billed.
If you have not paid the full-time Columbia Health & Related Services Fee and want to know if medication abortion is covered under your insurance plan, you can speak with a health insurance specialist (regardless of your health insurance plan) during drop-in hours. You can also schedule an appointment via email [email protected] with the subject line "Appointment Request" or through the phone 212-854-3286.
What else do I need to know?
Medication abortion involves taking two medications to complete the process. You will take mifepristone in the office to begin the termination, and then you will take misoprostol later at the time specified to you by your provider. Your provider will give you aftercare materials that include:
- Explicit instructions about how and when to take the misoprostol
- Important reminders about self-care, managing side effects, and getting help when needed
- Information about the medications
Your provider will also schedule your virtual follow-up visit for one week after the in-person visit.
Where can I learn more about these topics?
If you’d like to learn more about pregnancy options, you can check out the fact sheets at Columbia’s health Q&A resource, Go Ask Alice!.
Here are a few selected fact sheets to get you started:
Frequently Asked Questions
In brief, surgical abortions involve instruments and suction placed into your vagina and uterus, so there is a small risk of cervical injury or uterine perforation that could require further care, including possibly surgery. There is also a higher risk of infection with procedural abortion, although antibiotics are given to minimize this risk. These are discussed in detail at your consultation appointment.
Medication abortions may be less effective, especially later in pregnancy. Additionally, medication abortions occur at home, rather than in the clinic setting. The bleeding and cramping may be more prolonged than with procedural abortion.
The length of time from when you take the first pill until you finish passing the pregnancy is usually between 24 to 48 hours. The way you are directed to take the medications may also affect how long it takes.
You’ll have lots of cramping and bleeding on the day the pregnancy passes at home, and you may feel tired for 1 or 2 days after. Many people can go back to work and school, drive, walk, and do most other usual activities the next day if they feel up to it. It is not recommended that you do hard work or heavy exercise for several days.
Expected side effects of medication abortion include cramping and aching in the abdomen and pelvis along with heavy vaginal bleeding with large clots. Potential risks of medication abortion commonly include digestive system discomfort (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping) and fatigue.
Less common risks include heavy, prolonged vaginal bleeding, blood clots in the uterus, infection, or an allergic reaction to one of the medications. It is also possible the procedure will not work, which may result in needing a procedural abortion to complete the process.
If the medication abortion does not work and you decide to continue the pregnancy, the pregnancy is at higher risk for major complications.
Medication abortion has not been shown to affect future pregnancies, unless rare and serious complications develop.
Not all people qualify for medication abortion, even if they are early in pregnancy. Some reasons may include having an intrauterine device (IUD) in place, having a suspected pregnancy outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy), or having certain medical conditions, including those which increase the risk of bleeding.
How you feel during and after a medication abortion varies from person to person. Cramping and bleeding for several hours (like a heavy, crampy period) are an expected. Many people manage well with over-the-counter pain medications. You can work with your healthcare provider to discuss what to expect in terms of pain and management strategies.
This will depend on the medications used. For the most common regimen, you first take a pill called mifepristone. This medicine stops the pregnancy from growing. The second medicine is called misoprostol. This medicine causes cramping and bleeding to empty your uterus.
You can start a new birth control method immediately after having a medication abortion. You can get pregnant very quickly after your abortion, so it’s a good idea to talk with your medical provider about birth control options before or at your abortion appointment.
It’s normal to bleed and have some spotting for several weeks after your abortion. Abortion starts a new menstrual cycle, so your period will generally go back to your baseline normal 4 to 8 weeks after your abortion.
Columbia Health adheres to strict standards of confidentiality regarding your health-related information, services you receive from us, and any other privileged information to which we have access regarding your care. This information is not available to deans, faculty, or parents/guardians (see our Confidentiality statement).