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Home > What About Abortion? > General Abortion Information
General Abortion Information
Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure
For many women, having an abortion is a life changing event that has significant emotional, physical & spiritual consequences. Most women who struggle with past abortions say they only wish they'd been told all the facts about abortion and its risks.
Abortion Procedures
During the first trimester, a woman can typically choose between a medical (involving injections or pills) abortion and a surgical abortion.
What Is The “Abortion Pill”?
The abortion pill is the drug mifepristone (Mifeprex). It was originally referred to RU-486. It is a medicine that terminates an early pregnancy. It is used up until 63 days following the first day of the patient’s Last Menstrual Period (LMP)
What Happens during a Medical Abortion?
The medical abortion involves three steps:
Step One – The Abortion Pill
During the first office visit to the clinic, the patient is given the abortion pill. This pill
blocks the hormone progesterone, causing the uterine lining to be compromised, and the embryo is terminated.
Step Two – Misoprostol
During the second office visit, the patient is given a second medicine called misoprostol, which causes the uterus to empty. The patient takes the misoprostol up to three days after taking the mifepristone.
The misoprostol will induce cramping and heavy bleeding. Large blood clots or tissue may become visible as the contents of the uterus are emptied.
Step Three – Follow-Up
The patient will need to go back to the doctor for a third visit to make sure the abortion is complete. If the abortion did not result in the end of you’re the pregnancy, then a surgical abortion procedure will most likely be needed.
Adapted from: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.htm
Manual Vacuum Aspiration
This is a surgical abortion procedure performed up to 7 weeks after the patient’s Last Menstrual Period (LMP). A long, thin tube is inserted into the uterus. Once inserted, a large syringe is attached to the tube and the embryo is suctioned out.
Suction Curettage
Also referred to as vaccum aspiration or suction curettage, D & C is a surgical abortion procedure performed between 6 to 14 weeks after Last Menstrual Preiod (LMP). It is the most common surgical abortion procedure.
The cervix is stretched open using dilators – a series of increasingly thick rods. This may be painful. In that case, the patient is given local or general anesthesia. The doctor then inserts a hard plastic tube into the uterus. This tube is connected to a suction machine. The suction empties the uterus of the fetus’ body parts. Sometimes it is necessary for an instrument called a curette to be used to scrape the uterus to remove any remaining tissue or body parts.
Dilation & Evacuation (D & E)
D & E is a surgical abortion procedure performed between 13 to 24 weeks after LMP. The cervix is opened wider than a first trimester abortion procedure because the fetus has grown. To do so, many thin rods made of seaweed (called laminaria) are inserted a day or two prior to the procedure. The doctor then uses forceps to extract the fetal parts. In order to remove the fetal body parts, the skull is often crushed. A curette is used to scrape the lining of the uteus to make sure all the parts and tissue have been removed.
Reference: Before You Decide. An Abortion Education Resource, Care-Net, 2008.
Note: Hope Pregnancy Resource Center does not provide or make referrals for abortions. We do strive to provide accurate information about abortion procedures & effects in order to ensure our clients make informed pregnancy choices.
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