Although there are various home abortion methods, the safety of most of these methods is in question. The use of home abortions dates back to early times, though the practice is much less popular today due to the availability of legal abortion options. The practice is still current, however, in some parts of the world. For instance, in Kenya, an African country where abortion is restricted, women have used malaria drugs, knitting needles, and malaria drugs to cause abortions. Additional types of abortions that can be performed at home usually center on using various supplements.

Herbal abortifacients, substances thought to be able to stimulate a miscarriage and end a pregnancy, have a long historical use as an alternative abortion option. Herbalists have claimed a number of different herbs have this ability, including aloe, bitter apple, and ginger. The use of such herbs in home abortion methods may be combined with emmenagogues, drugs that can induce menstruation to increase the chances of miscarrying.

Usually women will create a tea infusion using the herbs to stimulate abortion or place objects directly into the vagina. According to anecdotal evidence, parsley can be used in both home abortion methods. Parsley is an herb used in cooking and is also thought to be a mild emmenagogue, stimulating menstruation and contractions in the uterus. Taken as a tea, the herb is often combined with high doses of ascorbic acid, or vitamin C; the ascorbic acid is thought to increase estrogen levels and lead to a miscarriage. The mixture is usually drunk several times a day for several days until regular menstruation begins. The herbs are also inserted directly into the vagina to cause contractions.

Even though many herbal abortifacients and emmenagogues can be purchased with little effort over the counter, this by no means ensures that these supplements are safe or effective home abortion methods. Many of these natural herbs are considered toxic when taken at high enough levels to stimulate abortion. In fact, such herbs may not be stimulating abortion so much as flooding the body with such high levels of poison that the pregnancy cannot be maintained.

Take blue cohosh for induced abortions is an example. The flowering herb is found naturally only in North America and has been in use since at least the 1800s. Current medical research, however, suggests that the toxic herb is not safe to use. One of the safety concerns with using this herbal abortifacient is that it could reduce the ability of the heart to pump blood.

Another herb often associated with alternative herbal abortion techniques is pennyroyal. Women attempting at-home abortion methods have reportedly used both the oil and the leaves of this emmenagogue plant. This plant, however, is considered unsafe for all uses and can cause liver damage. Additionally, consumption of the oil may be lethal even when taken in small doses.

Other herbs used in home abortion methods are believed to be capable of causing an extensive range of serious side effects, including damage to the kidneys, excessive bleeding, or death. The risk of complications also increases for women attempting at-home abortion methods who also have other medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Use of other over-the-counter or prescription drugs can also affect the potency of these herbal remedies and further increase the risk of serious harm. If abortion is successful, severe cramps and heavy bleeding are also likely to occur.

Despite their current uses, the safety of at-home abortion methods remains unconfirmed by modern science and is mainly based on anecdotal evidence. The ability to do permanent damage to the body or cause death indicates that these methods are not safe to try. Additionally, such practices may be illegal even in jurisdictions where abortion is legally available.