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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are medical abortions slightly less effective than surgical abortions?

By Esther Tsvayg
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YES

A medical abortion—with two pills taken at a prescribed interval in order to terminate a pregnancy—has a marginally lower efficacy rate than a surgical abortion, an in-clinic procedure.

Medical abortions are generally an option for women until the 10th week of pregnancy. According to the University of California San Francisco, 95% to 97% of medical abortions are effective, and they are more effective earlier in gestation. Surgical abortions are 98% effective, UCSF advises. A 2004 clinical study found an approximate 94% effective rate for medical abortions, compared to 97.7% for surgical procedures.

Failed medical abortions usually require a follow-up surgical abortion, while failed surgical abortions require a repeat procedure or other intervention.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
University of California San Francisco: Medical versus surgical abortion
National Library of Medicine: Medical versus surgical abortion efficacy
Healthline: Different types of abortion
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.