How long an abortion takes depends on what type of abortion it is. If you’re having a medication abortion with two different medications (mifepristone and misoprostol),you’ll get the first medication at your provider’s office and the second one to use at home (or someplace else safe and comfortable) one or two days later. The first medication stops the pregnancy from continuing to develop, and the second medication starts the actual abortion process. Once you take the second medication, the abortion can take up to several hours to be completed.