Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear something about abortion in the news. There are so many different points of view. When you think about it, how much do you really know about actual abortion procedures? Are there any risks?
If you’re considering abortion for your unplanned pregnancy, you ought to know about the procedures, side effects, and potential risks beforehand. We’ll let the experts answer some of your questions.
Are There Different Types of Abortions?
There are two main types of abortion methods, medical and surgical. Medical abortion, such as the abortion pill method, uses drugs to terminate a pregnancy. Surgical abortion is performed in a clinic or hospital using anesthesia and surgical instruments.
Which method you have is determined by how long you’ve been pregnant.The abortion pill method should only be used up to 70 days past the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Do you know exactly how long you’ve been pregnant?
Surgical abortion is usually performed once you’re past 10 weeks of pregnancy. It’s necessary to have a surgical abortion because the fetus is much larger.
What Is The Abortion Pill?
The abortion pill method, a type of medical abortion, is a procedure that uses a series of two powerful drugs taken over a 24 to 48 hour period.
The Mayo Clinic has this to say about medical abortion, ““Having a medical abortion is a major decision with emotional and psychological consequences. If you’re considering this procedure, make sure you understand what it entails, side effects, possible risks, complications, and alternatives.”
According to Mayo, you can expect nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, diarrhea, and a headache in addition to heavy vaginal bleeding and severe abdominal cramping.
They suggest these as potential risks of a medical abortion:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion – the closer you get to the 70 days, the more chance you have of a failed abortion
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding – soaking two or more sanitary pads an hour for two hours
- Infection with a foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Fever lasting more than 24 hours
- Digestive system discomfort
What Do They Do During Surgical Abortion?
There are different surgical abortion methods determined by how far along you are in your pregnancy. All of them require some form of anesthesia and dilation (opening) of the cervix.
If you’re just over the 10-week cut-off, you might have a Vacuum Aspiration. It uses suction like a vacuum to remove the pregnancy. If you’re farther along, you could have a dilation and curettage (D & C) procedure.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following as potential risks of a D & C:
- Perforation of the uterus because of the surgical instruments
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
A dilation and evacuation (D & E) combines vacuum aspiration, dilation and curettage, and the use of surgical instruments such as forceps to pull the pregnancy out.
Before You Schedule Your Abortion
Do you have other questions about abortion you’d like to ask? A member of our staff would be happy to sit down with you and discuss abortion methods and risks, as well as your other options. North Care Women’s Clinic does not perform or refer for abortions, we provide the information you will need in order to decide if the abortion pill is right for you by verifying if your pregnancy is viable, determining how far along you are, and educating you on all your options.
First, we recommend you confirm the results of your pregnancy test at North Care Women’s Clinic. Our pregnancy confirmation service is offered at no-cost to you.
We’re here to help you during this difficult time. No one should go through this alone. Schedule an appointment and let’s begin talking about your future.
