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FACT BRIEF

Are medical abortions slightly less effective than surgical abortions?

Tuesday, October 20, 2020
By Esther Tsvayg
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YES

A medical abortion—with two pills taken at a prescribed interval in order to terminate a pregnancy—has a marginally lower efficacy rate than a surgical abortion, an in-clinic procedure.

Medical abortions are generally an option for women until the 10th week of pregnancy. According to the University of California San Francisco, 95% to 97% of medical abortions are effective, and they are more effective earlier in gestation. Surgical abortions are 98% effective, UCSF advises. A 2004 clinical study found an approximate 94% effective rate for medical abortions, compared to 97.7% for surgical procedures.

Failed medical abortions usually require a follow-up surgical abortion, while failed surgical abortions require a repeat procedure or other intervention.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
University of California San Francisco: Medical versus surgical abortion
National Library of Medicine: Medical versus surgical abortion efficacy
Healthline: Different types of abortion
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.