One of these uses is to end unintended pregnancies. Methotrexate is usually given to a pregnant woman in the form of an injection or shot, although it can be taken orally. Methotrexate stops the ongoing implantation process that occurs during the first several weeks after conception. Another medication that might be used is mifepristone. It has been used by over 500,000 women in Europe and millions of women worldwide, especially in China.
Mifepristone is taken in the form of a pill.
It works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary to sustain pregnancy. A few days after taking either methotrexate or mifepristone, a second drug, misoprostol, is taken. Misoprostol tablets, which can be taken orally or put into the vagina, cause the uterus to contract and empty. This ends the pregnancy. Methotrexate and mifepristone work in different ways, and so they will have slightly different effects on a woman's body.