It is important that you talk with someone before making the choice to have an abortion. This could be family, friends, a medical professional, or a counselor to help you better understand the decision you are making.
Pregnancy, planned or unplanned, can bring about a lot of questions. You can choose to keep the baby, give it up for adoption, or have an abortion. Abortion is a medical procedure. If you’re thinking about it, you should review information about the specific types of procedure, risks, and side effects.
Before an Abortion
Before an abortion, it is important to verify the pregnancy with an ultrasound. Pregnancy tests taken at home are 99% accurate because they only detect a hormone called HCG released during pregnancy. High HCG levels don’t guarantee a viable pregnancy.
An in office medical grade pregnancy test followed by an ultrasound is the best way to confirm the pregnancy.
An ultrasound will also confirm the gestational age. The gestational age is the number of weeks you are into the pregnancy. This information will determine what type of abortion procedure you may be able to receive.
This information is provided for educational purposes and not intended to treat or diagnose. As with all medical decisions, talk with your doctor. If this is an emergency, please go to your local emergency room.
Abortion Pill
The abortion pill is a medical, non-surgical form of abortion performed during the first trimester of pregnancy. In this abortion type, a woman will ingest two different pills. A woman takes Mifepristone to stop progesterone, a hormone that supports pregnancy.
Second, 24 to 48 hours after Mifepristone, a woman will take a drug called Misoprostol. This drug causes contractions and bleeding to expel the embryo from the womb. One to two weeks later, the woman will have a second visit with her abortion provider to confirm the abortion was complete.
The drugs are approved by the FDA for use up to ten (10) weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period.
Surgical Abortion
There are three different kinds of surgical abortions, depending on the stage of pregnancy.
- Aspiration Abortion
- An aspiration abortion is performed in the first trimester of pregnancy, typically between five to thirteen weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. In this procedure, a woman’s cervix is dilated, and a suction machine is inserted into the uterus to remove the embryo from the uterus.
- Dilation and Evacuation (D & E) Abortion
- A D&E abortion is performed in the second trimester of pregnancy, between 13-24 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. During a D&E abortion, a woman’s cervix is dilated, and the fetal parts are removed through the vagina using forceps. The fetus’ skull is minimized from its largest size in order to ease removal. Once the fetal parts and skull are removed, a sharp tool called a curette is used to scrape out remaining tissue and other contents from the uterus to ensure everything is removed.
- Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) Abortion After Viability
- A D&E abortion is performed from 21 weeks and up after a woman’s last menstrual period. In this procedure, drugs may be inserted into the fetus or amniotic sac to stop the fetus’s heart from beating. After the fetus’ heart has stopped, a woman’s cervix is dilated, the amniotic sac is broken, and forceps are used to dismember the fetus. In an “Intact D&E” abortion, the fetus is pulled out legs first, then the skull is crushed and the remainder of the fetus is removed in one piece. The procedure is performed by entering the vagina and all fetus items are removed through the vagina.
After the abortion procedure, some women experience depression, anxiety, grief, lowered self-esteem, regret, and sexual dysfunction. These side effects may appear immediately, or over a period of time after an abortion. This is natural part of the grieving process. Learn more about After Abortion Support on our website here.
It is important that you talk with someone before making the choice to have an abortion. This could be family, friends, a medical professional, or a counselor to help you better understand the decision you are making.
This information is provided for educational purposes and not intended to treat or diagnose. As with all medical decisions, talk with your doctor. If this is an emergency, please go to your local emergency room.
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