Five things to know about missed period pills

By Melissa Grant

If your period is late and you don’t want to be pregnant, do you really have to wait for a positive pregnancy test before you can act? The answer is often no. Increasing availability of “period pills”—including online from carafem as of September 25, 2025—means you don’t have to wait or sit in uncertainty.

Missed period pills bring back your period when it’s late and safely end a potential early pregnancy—no pregnancy test required.

As missed period pills change how people stay in control of their bodies—and how early abortion care may be accessed—we see more questions and, unfortunately, more attacks from those who don’t support a full range of pregnancy options.

Here’s what’s important to know:

1. Missed period pills are safe, evidence-based care

The medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, are the same FDA-approved medications used in early abortion, just offered without a pregnancy test. They’ve been safely used in the United States for more than 25 years and by millions worldwide.

In many countries, including places where abortion is restricted, like Bangladesh, bringing on a late period, often referred to as “menstrual regulation,” is part of routine health and fertility care. Missed period pills are safe whether or not you are pregnant.

2. Clear information, consent, and medical eligibility are part of our process

At carafem, you receive fully informed consent. We explain exactly how the medications work, screen for health risks, and determine gestational age based on your last period—a standard, reliable method in early pregnancy care.

If you are eligible, you will receive a discreet, unmarked care package in just a few days, with support from Cara, our text-based virtual care assistant. Whether or not you are pregnant, the medications will cause cramping and bleeding and safely bring back your period.

3. Many people prefer to skip the test

You may be surprised to learn how many people might prefer not to confirm a pregnancy. In a 2020 study by Gynuity Health Projects, nearly half of the 678 participants surveyed at health centers in two U.S. states said they’d choose same-day period pills if they could, without a pregnancy test if that option were available. Among those who knew they didn’t want to be pregnant, that number was even higher: 70 percent said they'd prefer to skip the test.

Many of those surveyed said skipping the test would reduce stress and stigma. The preference for pills without a pregnancy test was consistent across the two states in the survey, one state hostile to abortion rights and the other state supportive of abortion rights. (For more about the study, see Patrick Adams’ article “Why Some Women Might Want “Missed Period Pills.”)

4. The principle is the same as other preventive care

Just as you might choose preventive surgery to reduce a medical risk, you can choose to prevent both medical and personal risks associated with a pregnancy before it’s confirmed. The decision is yours, guided by clear, honest information.

5. Abortion stigma is real—and options matter

Even when abortion feels morally complex, period pills can allow early action that prevents harm and respects your individual needs for care. This approach is not less informed or less safe. It’s simply more personalized and respectful care.

Bottom line: You deserve great care that fits you

At carafem, we believe you should always have the right to decide what’s best for your body, on your timeline, and with all of the information you need and want. Missed period pills are one more safe, reliable, and empowering way to make that possible.

Learn more from the National Working Group on Period Pills in the United States, where carafem has joined with leading medical, research, and advocacy partners to make this option more widely available.

Melissa Grant is co-founder and COO of carafem, dedicated for over 30 years to expanding access and creating client-centered reproductive health services across the U.S.