Are you exploring the pregnancy option of abortion? Here are the facts and risks you will want to know before going through with an abortion. Safeguard your health by confirming your pregnancy details through pregnancy testing and an ultrasound. We offer both pregnancy services because your health is our top priority.
Medical Abortion
Two powerful drugs are part of the medical abortion process. First, mifepristone blocks progesterone in your body. Without this essential pregnancy hormone, your uterine lining will loosen and shed, which ultimately causes your pregnancy to end.
The second drug, misoprostol, causes your uterus to contract, which expels the pregnancy from your uterus and out through your vagina.
Risks of Medical Abortion
Risks of a medical abortion include the following:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
The primary risk associated with abortion drugs is an incomplete abortion, which is when parts of the terminated pregnancy remain in your uterus. An incomplete abortion can lead to a severe infection, pain, and heavy bleeding.
Surgical Abortion
There are more than one type of surgical abortion procedure, depending on how far along you are in pregnancy. Dilation & Evacuation (D&E) and Dilation & Curettage (D&C) are the two main types of surgical abortion. Each procedure dilates your cervix and uses vacuum aspiration and surgical tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.
It’s important to understand the risks of surgical abortion before moving forward.
Risks of Surgical Abortion
Every type of surgical abortion uses similar termination processes and comes with similar risks, including:
- Perforation of the uterus (when a surgical instrument pokes a hole in the uterus)
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
Safeguard Your Health
Pregnancy confirmation is important to safeguarding your health and determining where your pregnancy health stands. It’s also important for understanding if you qualify for abortion.
The abortion drugs are only FDA-approved for women through 10 weeks of pregnancy. If you attempt to take these drugs and you’re further along, you are more likely to experience a risk. This is why it’s critical to determine your pregnancy’s gestational age before making any pregnancy decision. An ultrasound will also confirm other key details you need to know about your pregnancy to stay safe.
Schedule an initial, free pregnancy test appointment, and we can help you determine your next steps. You are not alone.
Non-Judgemental Care
Life Services is here to serve you as you navigate this unexpected time. We’re not here to judge or tell you what to do. We're here to listen to your needs and offer education. All of our services and support are confidential and at no cost to you.