Having an abortion is a serious medical decision. You are advised to meet with a healthcare provider before having one to discuss your physical and mental health. Confirming your pregnancy is viable (developing), knowing its location, and determining how far along you are is vital.
Two Types of Abortion Procedures
There are two types of abortion procedures: medical and surgical. How far along you are in your pregnancy determines which type you qualify for. Although every woman experiences an abortion differently, you can expect bleeding and cramping with every procedure.
The Abortion Pill Method
A medical procedure is also known as a medication or chemical abortion and as the abortion pill method. You take two powerful drugs to terminate a pregnancy. The FDA approves the use of abortion drugs through 10 weeks of pregnancy only. The drugs become less effective the farther along you are.
The two drugs used in the abortion pill method are mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone, the first drug, blocks the hormone progesterone from reaching the uterus. All pregnancies need progesterone to develop. Without this hormone, a pregnancy cannot survive.
The second drug, misoprostol, causes bleeding and contractions. Women in one study noted that the contractions were much more severe than originally expected.
Surgical Abortion
There are several types of surgical procedures depending on the number of weeks you have been pregnant. In earlier weeks, you could have vacuum or suction aspiration to pull out the pregnancy.
Other surgical procedures are a D & C (dilation and curettage), which uses suction and a scraping tool. Or, a D & E (dilation and evacuation), which may require forceps to remove larger parts of the pregnancy.
Are There Risks?
Both medical and surgical abortions have physical and mental risks. The following are some of the risks with the abortion pill method:
- Failure to completely remove the pregnancy and all tissue from the body.
- Heavy bleeding.
- Diarrhea and digestive pain.
- Allergic reaction to the drugs.
- Infection.
Some risks of surgical abortion include:
- Injury to the cervix.
- Infection.
- Severe bleeding.
- Poking a hole in the uterus (perforation).
- Failure to completely remove the pregnancy and all tissue from the body.
Thoroughly understanding abortion procedures, the side effects to expect, and the potential physical and mental risks is critical. Although we do not perform or refer for abortion, we can provide factual, medically-based information so you know what to expect.
Schedule a no-cost appointment to discuss this option in detail. We care about your health and safety.
