Abortion may have come to your mind as a potential option for your pregnancy. However, an abortion procedure comes with heavy considerations. Are you aware of the risks, side effects, and the factors that would make certain procedures unsafe? We’ll share essential information below so you can protect your long-term and sexual health.
What Is an Abortion?
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy either through drugs, surgery, or a mixture of both. However, it’s not a clean process, and each procedure type comes with unique considerations.
Medical Abortion (The Abortion Pill)
Medical abortion involves taking drugs to block the essential hormone progesterone and then trigger the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy and related tissue. It typically involves two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. However, some abortion providers go off-label and will sometimes prescribe only misoprostol (this is not FDA-approved).
The FDA-approved method through ten weeks of gestation starts with mifepristone, which thins the uterine lining by blocking progesterone. The embryo or fetus will no longer be able to stay attached to the uterine lining, causing the pregnancy to end. Then, 24-48 hours later, misoprostol is taken, which causes the uterus to contract to cause abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding to empty the uterus.
The vaginal bleeding is heavier than a period, and blood clots up to the size of a lemon are considered normal. The abdominal cramping can vary in intensity, but some women have reported feeling unprepared for what they experienced.
Other side effects that can accompany the abortion pill include upset stomach, vomiting, fever, chills, diarrhea, and headache.
Abortion Pill Risks
The abortion pill comes with the following risks:
- Incomplete abortion (which requires a follow-up procedure)
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive symptoms such as an upset stomach
Due to the amount of vaginal bleeding and the risks, having access to an in-person healthcare provider or an emergency room is essential.
It also means that the abortion pill is unsafe in certain situations, such as when a woman takes blood thinners or has anemia, bleeding disorders, chronic adrenal failure, heart or blood vessel diseases, and a list of other issues.
Talk with a healthcare provider about your health history and medications before considering the abortion pill.
Surgical Abortion
Surgical abortion happens in a clinic or hospital setting, and an abortion provider will dilate (open) the cervix so they can insert surgical tools to manually remove the pregnancy through a mixture of suction and scraping. Later in pregnancy, more tools, such as forceps, could be used to remove larger pieces of the pregnancy.
Typically, women are either unconscious or sedated during a surgical abortion, so there would not be pain during the procedure.
However, after the procedure, women can experience mild cramping and spotting or light vaginal bleeding, which can last a couple of days. A provider may recommend taking ibuprofen or another medication for discomfort or cramping.
The availability of this type of procedure depends on state laws. Nebraska limits elective abortion to 12 weeks of gestation (the first trimester).
Surgical Abortion Risks
Surgical abortion comes with the following risks:
- Perforation of the uterus
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
Emotional Side Effects
While some women feel relief after an abortion, others can feel guilt, loss, and sadness. It’s known that some women struggle emotionally after abortion, whether right away or years later.
You know yourself better than anyone and can best predict how you could feel after an abortion procedure.
Are You Thinking About Abortion?
Visit Life Choices in Fremont to verify your pregnancy and protect your health and safety. Before an ultrasound, it’s crucial to know whether your pregnancy is progressing inside your uterus with a heartbeat. Our medical team can give you this information through a limited OB ultrasound so you can make an informed decision to protect your sexual health.