1.Breathe.
Take a deep breath. It’s easy to feel panicked, like you have to do this right away, but you have time. Even though you were not planning on pregnancy, your life is not over and you will be okay. This is a big decision. Take time to think it through.
2.Find Out If You’re Really Pregnant.
Before you make any decision, you need to find out if you are really pregnant. About 1 in 5 pregnancies end naturally in miscarriage.¹ You may not need to get an abortion. This is important information to know! North Care Women’s Clinic offers free ultrasounds to confirm that you have a viable pregnancy.
3.Get ALL the facts about the procedure.
It is important to have all the information before getting any medical procedure, and abortion is no exception. There are different types of abortions, depending on how far along you are. A free ultrasound at North Care Women’s Clinic can also tell you how many weeks along you are in your pregnancy. Once you find that out, a caring professional can talk with you about your options, and tell you what will happen during the procedure, including the risks. Having an STD when you have an abortion can have a negative impact on your sexual health. North Care Women’s Clinic offers testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, the two most common STD’s. Both can increase your risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease if left untreated before an abortion.²
4.Tell Someone Else.
You don’t have to do this alone. We are here for you. While the caring staff at North Care is always here for you, it is good to tell a trusted friend or family member whose advice you value. Think about your sister, best friend, or another woman close to you. Would you want to be there for her if she was facing an unplanned pregnancy? She feels the same way about you! It is freeing to not have to face a tough decision alone. If you aren’t sure how to tell them, we can talk that through with you.
Resources:
1. American Pregnancy Association. (2015) Miscarriage. Retrieved from http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-complications/miscarriage/
2. HDRC. (2007) Abortion and STD’s. Retrieved from https://hdrc.org/RESOURCES/PDF/AbortAndSTDFSEnL1008CP.pdf
