Hi, and welcome to Telefem! It’s so nice to meet you! If this is your first time here, we want to tell you that you’re in a safe space, full of trust. We are here to answer all your questions and provide you with trustworthy information regarding safe abortion in Mexico. Let me introduce you to one of our articles, and if you still have questions, feel free to contact us through WhatsApp!
Have you wondered how you can have a safe abortion at home? How to be sure that it’s gonna be successful? Do teas cause an abortion? How do they do it?
Here we’ll answer several questions about at-home abortion. So let’s start:
A safe abortion at home, is it a real possibility or not?
At-home abortion can be considered safe, but it must follow the characteristics proposed by the WHO:1
A safe home abortion is carried out with an appropriate method (such as taking medications) and with advice from a qualified person through telemedicine services like Telefem.
The Truth About Using Plants for an At-Home Abortion
Plant-based methods are relying on pharmacopoeia and traditional and popular knowledge. Sometimes, these methods are described in books as ways to “bring on the period” and not specifically to have an abortion.
They are used in the form of brews, washes, or vegetable suppositories. The plants involved are recognized for their abortive effects, which induce menstruation, promote contractions, and prevent embryo implantation.
You have probably heard of rue (Ruta graveolens), cinnamon, zoapatle (Montanoa tomentosa), and jilote flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) as medicinal plants according to popular believes.3
Since pre-Hispanic times, among the Mexicas, cihuapatli (zoapatle), which means medicine or remedy for women (cihuatl), has been a plant of great importance for solving problems related to childbirth. Today, it continues to be valued for its ability to induce labor, accelerate it, and/or facilitate it.4
For example, to generate stronger contractions in difficult labor, cooked leaves are ingested or an infusion is prepared, sometimes using the plant’s root or cinnamon and chocolate.
It is also consumed after childbirth to clean the uterus and fully expel the placenta. Usually, a tea is prepared by adding rue and epazote leaves or branches.5
As you could notice, due to the reactions these plants provoke, they are used to generate contractions and induce menstrual bleeding, as well as to support the labor process. While these methods are part of ancestral and cultural knowledge regarding natural gynecology, it is necessary to clarify that using herbs and plants may not be effective for abortion.
This is due to the lack of control over the necessary doses; also, obtaining plants from markets can be challenging, as the correct species might not be available or mixes of plants for infusions are offered, making it difficult to determine if it is a single species or multiple, increasing the risks of intoxication.
Incorrect use of natural remedies can lead to incomplete abortions, infections, or hemorrhages; situations that can affect the health of women and childbearing people.6
This does not mean that ancestral knowledge is bad; in fact, it is culturally valuable wisdom. However, to have an abortion, other methods that secure pregnancy termination and minimal health risk are necessary.
If plants are not effective for an abortion, what can I use?
Safe at-home abortion is carried out with medications up to 10.6 weeks of pregnancy. The pills used are a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, which facilitate the expulsion of the uterus contents. This method is endorsed and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and specialized organizations, both national and international, such as the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).7
Controlling the doses and correctly identifying the active principles being taken is vital for the success of a medical procedure and the safety of the patient.
Therefore, safe at-home abortion can be managed by a companion or through telemedicine services, which generate a medical history (to guaranteed no risks with the medications), provide the medications, and offer remote medical follow-up.7
If you are considering an abortion with combined medications, services like Telefem connect you with specialists and provide the medications so you can carry it out remotely with professional follow-up until 10.6 weeks of pregnancy.
Performing a safe medicated abortion at home can have symptoms such as heavy bleeding, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and headache. These symptoms vary from person to person and should decrease over hours and days.8
Having advice or support from specialists can be helpful to resolve doubts about unexpected symptoms. The opportunity to interrupt a pregnancy from home allows many women and pregnant people to decide about their reproductive lives without risking their health.9
Now that you know the difference between a medicated abortion and natural remedies like plants, we invite you to continue informing yourself about abortion and reproductive health.
Did you find this helpful? For more on reproductive health and safe abortion, visit our blog—get all your questions answered. See you there!
You’re Not Alone
A safe abortion should never be done in uncertainty or isolation. Staying in communication with trained professionals makes all the difference. That’s why Telefem is here — to guide and support you from start to finish.
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* This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice and applies only to Mexico’s law and context.
References:
- Ipas Centroamérica y México Ciudad de México. 10 datos de salud pública para entender la importancia de despenalizar el aborto. 1era ed. 2022. [Internet]. [Visit September 2024]. Available at: IpasCAM2022-10DatosSaludPublicaDespenalizarAborto.pdf (ipasmexico.org)
- Morales Sarabia A. Los itinerarios de dos plantas en la medicina de mujeres: la peacock flower y la cihuapatli. Diálogos del colegio de México. 2022;22. Visit September 2024. Available at: OTROS DIÁLOGOS | Los itinerarios de dos plantas en la medicina de mujeres: la <em>peacock flower</em> y la cihuapatli (colmex.mx)
- Guillaume A. y S. Lerner. El aborto en américa latina y el caribe. Capítulo 6: De los métodos tradicionales a los métodos medicalizados. Centre population et développement. 2007. Visit September 2024. Available at: El aborto inducido en América Latina y El Caribe (ceped.org)
- Ordaz-Hernández, A, et al. Plantas medicinales usadas comúnmente en México: lo bueno y lo malo. Mexican Journal of Technology and Engineering. 2023;2(3):12-18. [Visit September 2024]. Available at: Plantas-medicinales-usadas-comunmente-en-Mexico-lo-bueno-y-lo-malo.pdf (researchgate.net)
- UNAM. Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana: Zoapatle. Página web. 2009. [Visit September 2024]. Available at: Términos – APMTM: (unam.mx)
- OMS. Aborto. Blog en página web. [Internet]. 2021. Visit September 2024. Available at: Aborto (who.int)
- Ipas Latinoamérica y el Caribe (Ipas LAC). 2022. Material de apoyo para el acompañamiento del aborto. 1. Antes de un aborto. 1era ed. [Visit September 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: IpasLAC2022-AcompanamientoAborto1.pdf
- IPAS. 2023. Aborto con pastillas (Pagina web). [Visit September 2024]. Available at: Aborto con pastillas – Ipas
- Ipas Latinoamérica y el Caribe (Ipas LAC). 2022. Material de apoyo para el acompañamiento del aborto. 2. Durante un aborto inducido con medicamentos. 1era ed. [Visit September 2024]. [Internet]. Disponible en:IpasLAC2022-AcompanamientoAborto2.pdf