The Abortion Pill and the Morning-After Pill: Are They the Same?

There is much confusion about the two drugs which are often called “The Abortion Pill” and “The Morning-After Pill.” Surveys have shown that a majority of respondents are either misinformed or unaware of the differences between these two drugs. Due to confusion between these two drugs, this article clarifies the issue.

The Abortion Pill

In 1980, a Frenchman, Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu, discovered a steroid hormone similar to progesterone called mifepristone. The sole purpose of this drug is to abort an early pregnancy. The French pharmaceutical company, Roussel-Uclaf, patented the drug. The company’s initials provide the first part of the drug’s label, namely, RU-486.

The manufacturing rights were handed over to a newly-formed American company, Danco Laboratories, and the name of the drug was marketed as Mifeprex (which is derived from the generic name, mifepristone). Mifeprex is designed to terminate a pregnancy within the first seven weeks, although it has been used to abort babies as late as nine weeks. Because this drug was established as a non-surgical abortion method, it is often referenced as “The Abortion Pill.”

The Morning-After Pill

The term, “Morning-After Pill,” has been used to describe a number of different drugs and procedures. Initially, women realized the effectiveness of taking a new extra birth control pill if they felt there was a possibility of pregnancy. The belief was that these extra pills would help prevent pregnancy. Pharmaceutical companies realized the value of this method and started marketing specific pills that could be used after sex.

These pills are really the same as typical combination oral contraceptives but with a higher dose of hormones. This Morning-After Pill is really misnamed for a number of reasons. For example, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Plan B, provides one pill to be taken as soon as possible and one additional pill to be taken 12 hours later. Other manufacturers claim a woman must take between two and five of these birth control pills immediately and a second dose in 12 hours for the same effect. In all cases, the Morning-After Pill requires more than one pill.

Key Differences and Mechanisms

• Timing: Mifeprex is designed to terminate a pregnancy within the first seven to nine weeks, while the Morning-After Pill is meant to be started as soon as possible, certainly within the first 72 hours after unprotected sex.
• Mechanism: The sole purpose of the Abortion Pill is to abort a pregnancy. In contrast, the Morning-After Pill may prevent ovulation or inhibit the implantation of an embryo.
• Abortifacient Action: In cases in which an embryo cannot implant, the Morning-After Pill acts as a chemical abortifacient and that leads to the confusion between the two drugs.

Another misconception is that a woman must wait until the next morning after taking the Morning-After Pill. The truth is that the pills are meant to be started as soon as possible. Pharmaceutical companies have addressed this issue by referencing this method of birth control as “emergency contraception” instead of the Morning-After Pill.