By Olivia Hooper
It is our hope at safe2choose that one day every country in the world will provide free certified abortion pills and procedures. However, there is a long journey ahead to reach that goal, so in the meantime, we want to delve into what influences abortion pill costs, what pill options there are, and where you can get support to help you on your journey to make your own choice about abortion and what is right for you.
Abortion pill options and prices vary from country to country and also from state to state in the US. However, there are some generic options that most countries are likely to use. An abortion with pills normally entails taking two different medicines called Mifepristone and Misoprostol. If you are researching abortion pills, you may also come across the term “medication abortion,” which is usually the chosen method for the first 13 weeks of gestation.
What influences the cost of abortion pills?
Abortion pills are common in many countries, however, national legislation varies on which pills you can buy over the counter vs with a prescription. safe2choose has information on what is available in 40 different countries across four continents.
There is a large difference in abortion pill costs and, unfortunately, the prices are rising in countries such as the US. The price for the pill varies greatly in the US, from $150-$750, depending on where you purchase it. The median cost of a medication abortion offered in person increased from around $580 in 2021 to about $600 by 2023.
Anti-choice legislation is one factor that can drive up the price of the abortion pills. This is especially true in the US as different states have a variety of restrictions on medication abortions, which makes it more difficult and expensive to provide abortion pills.
State policy tracker Elizabeth Nash, from the Guttmacher Institute, told The 19th News, “There are certainly some reasons why those costs might be higher, particularly around what it means to comply with onerous and unnecessary clinic regulations and to comply with security and to ensure you have a safe space for patients and staff.”
In the Philippines, the pill cost varies depending on the weeks of gestation – Mifepristone, for use from 0 to 8 weeks, costs around $89 USD. Surpassing eight weeks of gestation, an abortion can be more expensive because a single pill can become less effective. Planned Parenthood wrote that after 9–10 weeks the pill is around 91–93% effective; at 10–11 weeks pregnant, it works about 87% of the time.
The brand of the abortion pill is also a determining factor in some countries. For example, Cytotec, which contains Misoprostol, is also available in the Philippines and costs less than Mifepristone at around $58 USD. The price difference between the drugs was also noted in an economic analysis by Penn Medicine. Data found the average health-care cost for a woman to receive Mifepristone with Misoprostol was roughly equal to the cost for a woman to receive Misoprostol.
However, in other countries, you can buy the same pills for considerably less. For example, in Mexico Mifepristone abortion pills can be purchased for $16–$30 USD and
Misoprostol for $1.03–$4.88 USD, per pill. In India, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks, however, pill costs also vary depending on the brand and location. The average cost is between $7–$10 USD. Some combipack options (one pill of Mifepristone + four pills of Misoprostol) can be between $4.7–$8.96 USD.
What if I can’t afford an abortion pill
Not everyone can pay for an abortion pill, especially if their health insurance does not cover the cost. Similarly, in many countries, the costs remain extremely high for medical abortions. When there are limited financial support schemes or when medical abortion is illegal, people sometimes turn to the black market to buy pills, which incurs dangers of its own. The cost of abortions has a major disproportionate impact on many, especially marginalized and impoverished communities. Ultimately, issues relating to the cost of abortion can cause added stress to an already challenging situation.
In some countries, progressive health-care systems have adapted their offerings to be inclusive of abortion. For example, in South Africa and the UK, abortions are free. In the US, although abortions are not always easy to access and in some states illegal, recent changes have been made to try and make abortions more accessible by allowing home delivery from pharmacies or purchasing of prescribed pills at chains such as Walgreens or CVS.
If you have health insurance, it is worth checking whether it covers abortions as some clinics such as Planned Parenthood. However, unfortunately, in the US there aren’t many insurance plans available that include abortion medication.
The number of health providers in the US accepting health insurance to cover abortion is decreasing. From 2017 to 2019 the number of abortion facilities accepting at least one insurance plan fell from 89 to 80%. In 2020, the figure stayed the same. Researchers have said they either anticipate the number of providers taking insurance to stay the same or decline further, says The 19th news.
If you do not have health insurance and paying the upfront cost is not possible, some clinics have payment plans and discounts available to ease the financial burden.
Understanding the pill options
Mifepristone and Misoprostol are usually taken together, starting with Mifepristone, which blocks progesterone to stop the pregnancy from progressing. You can either immediately take the second medicine, Misoprostol, or wait 24 to 48 hours. The Misoprostol empties the uterus, and the process can feel like a heavy period. The symptoms this pill induces have been compared to that of an early miscarriage.
It is also possible to take Misoprostol alone to have an abortion, however, taking both pills is likely to work better than taking just the Misoprostol, depending on how far into your pregnancy you are. In the majority of cases, abortion pills are very effective at terminating a pregnancy.
There is another name for Mifepristone; it was formerly called RU-468, but now it is commonly referred to as Mifepristone or “Mifeprex,” which is the brand name for Mifepristone. You can also find Mifepristone under the name Korlym.
Support for you
Researching abortion and the choices available can be very overwhelming, which is why safe2choose has a team of medically trained counselors to support you throughout your abortion process.
We work with local abortion counselors from all over the world to ensure that our counseling is culturally relevant and appropriate for your situation. We have taken careful steps to ensure that counselors can offer sessions in your language. Our team speaks more than 10 languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Kiswahili and Luganda.
You can find all the relevant information about abortion on our page. We offer free counseling that is rooted in empathy and free from judgment.