1. Make sure you’re pregnant.
It’s hard to tell if you are pregnant from symptoms alone. Many pregnancy symptoms have other causes. North Care offers a free laboratory-quality pregnancy test to help you.
2. Check if your pregnancy is viable.
A viable pregnancy is growing with a detectable heartbeat. Checking for a viable pregnancy is finding out if you have had a miscarriage. Up to 1 in 4 pregnancies end naturally. An ultrasound can provide this information.
3. Check to see if your pregnancy is inside the uterus.
An ultrasound can confirm if your pregnancy is in the uterus and show if you are having a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy means the embryo has been implanted in the wrong location. As the pregnancy grows, it becomes more dangerous.
4. Find out how far along you are
An ultrasound is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy. The gestational age (how far along you are in your pregnancy) is vital in determining the type and cost of an abortion procedure.
Medical abortions are only approved through the 10th week of pregnancy. After ten weeks, you may need a surgical abortion.
5. Check to see if you have an STD
Having an STD when you have an abortion can increase your risk of complications for your future reproductive health. North Care Women’s Clinic offers testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and BV.
6. Find out all of your options
Talk to a personal client advocate about your options and resources for your specific situation. Take time to weigh the short-term and long-term pros and cons of each choice.
7. Review specifics of abortion procedures, as well as risks and complications
Knowledge is power. To make an educated decision, you can speak with a nurse to determine what happens during abortion procedures and what risks and complications are associated with them.
References:
Committee on Obstetric Practice, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine. Reaffirmed 2022. Methods for Estimating the Due Date. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2017/05/methods-for-estimating-the-due-date
Dugas, Carla; Slane, Valori H. Reviewed June 27, 2022. Miscarriage. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532992/
Gentles, Ian. Lanfranchi, Angela. Ring-Cassidy, Elizabeth. Complications: Abortions Impact on Women, Second Edition. The deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research. November 8, 2018.
