Patients who undergo a medication abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing severe pain and heavy bleeding than if they had surgical abortions, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania surveyed over 500 abortion patients, more than two-thirds of whom chose to take medication abortion, also often called a self-managed abortion, compared to a surgical procedure.