Abortion – WRC of the Rockies

Considering abortion?

Many women, when faced with an unexpected pregnancy, immediately think, “I’ll just get an abortion.” It seems easy enough, right? However, have you thought about the potential long-term consequences? Some women experience physical complications, while others experience emotional and mental pain. Get the facts you need that may help guide you before making this critical decision.

What Should I Do First?

Even if you have taken an at-home pregnancy test, we suggest that the first thing you do is take a free, confidential test at our Center. Women often don’t read the full instructions for the tests and sometimes take them incorrectly. At the Center, a member of our trained staff will administer one of our lab-quality pregnancy tests. You will have complete confidence that you are getting the most accurate results. If the test is positive, you will want to have a free ultrasound. An ultrasound can give you additional answers to determine what options are available to you.

What Are the Different Types of Abortion?

There are two main types of abortion, a medical and surgical abortion. The type of abortion you can have is determined by how far along you are in your pregnancy, and the best way to determine that is with an ultrasound.

The Abortion Pill

A medical abortion is an abortion done using the drug RU-486. It is a combination of two pills. The first pill(mifepristone) blocks the hormone progesterone which is necessary for the survival of the fetus. The second pill(misoprostol), taken 24 to 72 hours later, cases cramping and bleeding, expelling the fetus. One to two weeks after the abortion, it is necessary to follow up with a physician to verify that the abortion was complete and to assess for complications.Before obtaining a medical abortion, it is important to verify the pregnancy with a physical exam and/or ultrasound to determine if you are withinthe gestational time frame where the abortion pill can be prescribed. The FDA states that the abortion pill can only be prescribed within 70 days from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period.Side effects of the abortion pill include cramping andheavy bleeding lasting 9-16 days, infection, fever, nausea, and headache.Complications can include an incomplete abortionrequiring surgery.

Surgical Abortions

There are two types of surgical abortions: an aspiration abortion and dilation and evacuation (D & E) abortion. The most common one is aspiration abortion, which is performed up to 15 weeks. After 15 weeks, a woman would need to have a D & E abortion.

Both types of surgical abortions involve an injection to cause fetal demise. Then the abortion doctor utilizes a suction device and other tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.

What Are the Risks?

As you can see, these are serious procedures, and there are side effects to expect with both types of abortion. Here are a few:

Heavy bleeding, including blood clots
Intense cramping, severe abominable or back pain
Nausea and vomiting
Sweating and feeling faint
Fever
Possible risk of pelvic infection, tearing of the cervix, uterine perforation, or hemorrhaging

In addition, with any abortion, you run the risk of emotional and psychological side effects too. Women have reported feelings of depression, guilt, and shame. Without someone to confide in, these effects can become even stronger. We’ve touched on some of the information about abortion here, but if you would like to know more, please contact us to set up a consultation. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and give you as much information as you need.

*Women’s Resource Center does not perform or refer for abortions.