Before Abortion, What Do I Need to Know?

There are a few things you should know about each method of abortion before taking your next medical steps.

First is the abortion pill – the FDA approves the use of Mifeprex for the termination of early pregnancies up to 10 weeks. It is important to note that taking the abortion pill past this point in pregnancy could result in incomplete abortion or other medical complications, so it’s important to be sure of how far along you are before pursuing medication abortion.

The Mayo Clinic lists the following as physical risks of the abortion pill:

• Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
• An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
• Heavy and prolonged bleeding
• Infection
• Fever
• Digestive system discomfort

For the termination of pregnancies past 10 weeks (and up until 24 weeks in Pennsylvania), an in-clinic procedure known as surgical abortion would be necessary. A common method of surgical abortion is known as dilation & curettage. In this procedure, a physician uses medical instruments to scrape or lightly suction the fetus and remaining tissue from the uterus.

Because surgical abortion is in-clinic, it typically involves sedation and carries a longer, more serious list of risks, as do many surgical procedures. Note that this method of abortion also has a higher financial cost than the abortion pill. According to the Mayo Clinic, the following are potential physical risks of surgical abortion:

• Passing blood clots that are larger than a lemon for more than two hours
• Bleeding that is heavy enough that you have to change your pad twice in one hour for two hours straight
• Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• Fever
• Pain or cramping that gets worse instead of better, especially after 48 hours
• Pregnancy symptoms that persist after one week

It’s important that you know everything there is to know about your unique medical situation so that you can be fully informed about your next steps.

Why Do I Need to Get an Ultrasound?

There are a few questions you need answered to determine what options are best for your health and safety. An ultrasound exam can answer important questions about your unique situation, such as:

• How far along you are (and what pregnancy options are available)
• If the pregnancy is viable (or if miscarriage care is likely for your situation or has already occurred)
• If the pregnancy is located in the uterus (or if you are at risk of ectopic pregnancy)

In order to put your health and safety first, you need to know the answers to these questions and to see a medical professional in-person. For example, if you may be facing an ectopic pregnancy, immediate medical attention is necessary (as this cannot be resolved with abortion treatment), and delay in treatment for this condition could be dangerous.