Thinking About Abortion?
Abortion is a serious medical decision that comes with physical risks and side effects. If considering this option, be sure to know the facts and what to expect.
What Are the Types of Abortion?
- Medical Abortion (The Abortion Pill)
Known as the abortion pill method, a medical abortion involves two drugs that terminate an existing pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone that sustains a pregnancy, and misoprostol makes the uterus contract and remove the pregnancy through the vagina.
A medical abortion comes with side effects, including nausea, vomiting, chills, fever, headache, and diarrhea. Possible physical risks of this procedure include:
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- An ongoing pregnancy (if the procedure doesn’t work)
- An incomplete abortion (which may need to be followed by surgical abortion)
- Surgical Abortion
For later-term abortion, a surgical abortion is typically done. This abortion works to dilate the cervix and includes multiple surgical tools and suction to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.
Though there are more than one surgical abortion procedure, they all come with similar possible physical risks, including:
- Damage to the uterus or cervix
- Uterine perforation
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes
- Scarring of the inside of the uterus
- Reaction to the medicines or anesthesia, such as problems breathing
- Not removing all of the tissue, requiring another procedure
How Far Along Are You?
When considering abortion, knowing how far along you are is essential to determining your options. The FDA only recommends the abortion pill for women through 10 weeks of pregnancy, so you must know how far along you are. Otherwise, a surgical abortion is your only other abortion option.
To be sure of your pregnancy and safeguard your health, begin with no-cost pregnancy testing at our center today. We also offer no-cost, obstetrical limited ultrasounds to those who qualify to confirm vital pregnancy information.
Schedule an appointment to confirm your pregnancy and learn more about this pregnancy option.