The treatment involves two visits to a doctor or clinic. Following a physical exam, pregnancy test and an ultrasound exam to date the pregnancy, the woman is given the Mifepristone pill to take in the office. Six hours following the addition of Misoprostol, most women will complete the abortion. In a small percentage of women, the abortion can take up to a week to complete. The woman returns to the doctor's office two weeks after taking Mifepristone for an ultrasound test to confirm the abortion is complete.
Many women prefer it because they feel it's a more natural option compared to surgical abortion.
But that's not true for all women. In France for example, about half the women choose the pill and the other half choose to have a surgical procedure. The drug was developed by the pharmaceutical firm Roussel-Uclaf. In 1991 RU-486 was approved for use in Great Britain and in 1992, it was approved for use in Sweden. Roussel-Uclaf will not market the drug in the United States or any other country where the company thinks the political and social conditions are unreceptive to the drug.