Abortion

There are two types of abortion: medical (also known as the “abortion pill”) and surgical. Both types of abortion involve terminating a pregnancy and expelling or removing the pregnancy and related tissue from the uterus. They both come with unique risks.

Medical Abortion

Medical abortion involves taking two powerful drugs.

The first drug, mifepristone, blocks progesterone in your body. Without this essential pregnancy hormone, your uterine lining will thin and shed, ultimately causing your pregnancy to detach and end.

The second drug, misoprostol, causes your uterus to contract, which expels your pregnancy out through your vagina.

After taking these drugs, you will experience abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding. Some women have reported that the pain is unexpectedly severe.

These drugs are only FDA-approved if your pregnancy is 10 weeks gestation or under. If you attempt to take these drugs and your pregnancy is further along, you’re more likely to experience a risk, which is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication.

Risks of medical abortion include:

• 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

Surgical Abortion

Surgical abortion is performed in a clinic. The procedure involves dilating the cervix so that medical instruments can enter the uterus to terminate and remove the pregnancy.

Risks of a surgical abortion include:

• Uterine perforation (which occurs when one of the medical instruments pokes a hole in the uterus)
• Uterine scarring (which can cause painful periods and future infertility)
• Cervical damage
• Infection

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How to Protect Your Health

Before making any pregnancy decision, it’s critical to get an ultrasound. This simple scan will give you the vital details you need to know about your pregnancy to stay safe.

It’s also important to make sure that you know all you can about your pregnancy options.

At Fempower Medical, we offer free, limited ultrasound referrals and options education to give you the information you need to protect your health. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential appointment.

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