There are two different types of abortion: medical and surgical. Before you know what type of abortion is available to you, you must know your pregnancy’s gestational age, which can only be learned through an ultrasound.
Read on to learn more about the essentials you need to know when it comes to medical and surgical abortions.
Important Facts about Medical Abortion (The Abortion Pill)
Medical abortion ends a pregnancy through two powerful drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. They are typically taken or finished at home with limited medical supervision.
Mifepristone Ends the Pregnancy
A medical abortion starts with the drug mifepristone, which ends a pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone. Without progesterone, the lining of your uterus will thin and shed. The pregnancy will no longer remain attached or grow, and will end.
Misoprostol Causes Contractions
About 24-48 hours later, women take misoprostol. This drug causes your uterus to contract, leading to heavy cramping. The cramps will expel your pregnancy and related tissue through vaginal bleeding.
Abortion Drugs Aren’t Risk-Free
Despite causing period-like symptoms, these drugs come with serious risks, including life-threatening bleeding, infection, or incomplete abortion.
These complications can happen when the uterus doesn’t fully empty, leaving some of the tissue behind. Taking the drugs beyond the FDA-approved 10-week timeframe heightens this risk. If considering the abortion pill, it’s crucial that you have access to follow-up or emergency care.
Some women report being disturbed by seeing the expelled embryo or fetus, which isn’t often communicated to women as a possibility beforehand.
Surgical Abortion: What to Know
Surgical abortion is typically performed in a clinic or hospital setting. While it’s available at most points in pregnancy, it often happens later on when the abortion pill is not an option.
A surgical abortion starts by dilating the opening of the uterus, called the cervix, with drugs and medical instruments. Dilation allows the abortion provider to insert surgical instruments to remove the pregnancy with strong suction and scraping. In later stages of pregnancy, specialized instruments, such as larger forceps, may be used to extract fetal tissue.
The risks of a surgical abortion include uterine perforation (a hole or tear in the uterus), scar tissue on the uterine wall, infection, and damage to the cervix. Complications after a surgical abortion can potentially lead to future problems with infertility.
How Can I Protect My Health?
Confirm your pregnancy at Upstate Pregnancy Center with a free, limited ultrasound. This will give you essential information, such as your pregnancy’s gestational age and whether or not your pregnancy is progressing inside the uterus with a heartbeat.
These details will ensure you rule out any health issues like ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, while understanding all the options available to you.
Contact us today to schedule your free appointment for a limited ultrasound and protect your reproductive health. Your safety matters to us.