Abortion is a highly safe method of terminating a pregnancy. Here are the facts regarding various types of abortion and what to expect from each.
What Types of Abortion Exist?
Medication abortion, sometimes known as the abortion pill, is the use of medications to terminate an early pregnancy up to 11 weeks following the first day of your last menstruation.
At-clinic abortion is typically a quick and painless process performed by a professional doctor or nurse at a health center at a health center. Both abortion methods are safe and effective. You can access these procedures by googling “abortion clinic around me” if it’s legal in your state.
What Is the Procedure for Each?
In-clinic Abortion
A doctor or nurse removes the pregnancy from your uterus through your vagina using medical equipment and gentle suction.
Medication-Assisted Abortion
You take drugs that produce cramping and bleeding, causing the pregnancy tissue to exit your uterus through your vagina. It's similar to a miscarriage.
There are two methods for obtaining a medical abortion. Mifepristone and misoprostol are two medications that can be used. You can also use misoprostol on its own.
How Effective Is An Abortion Procedure?
Abortion in a clinic works more than 99% of the time. Mifepristone and misoprostol work together between 87-99% of the time, depending on how far along the pregnancy is and how many misoprostol doses you take.
Taking both mifepristone and misoprostol works somewhat better than just misoprostol.
Misoprostol alone works roughly 85-95% of the time to end a pregnancy, depending on how far along the pregnancy is and how the medicine is taken.
If a pharmaceutical abortion fails, you can take more medication or have an in-clinic operation.
How Long Does the Abortion Procedure Take?
Abortion at a Clinic
The process usually takes around 10 minutes, although the entire visit can take several hours. Some states need you to come to the health center for a separate visit before the abortion. Abortions performed later in pregnancy may take longer and require more visits to the health center.
Medication-Assisted Abortion
Your appointment will differ based on where you reside and whether in-person or virtual. In some states, you should come for several appointments, which can take many hours. In other areas, you may only need a brief video visit before picking up your medicines at a pharmacy or mailing them to you.
If you use mifepristone and misoprostol together, you can take the pills at the same time or up to two days apart, depending on your circumstances.
If you use misoprostol, you will take 3-4 pills 3 hours apart.
Most women pass the pregnancy tissue within 4-5 hours of using misoprostol, but it can take longer. The abortion is usually completed within 24 hours of taking the last tablet dose.
You will have a follow-up visit or phone call to ensure that everything is going well, but you will also receive a particular pregnancy test that you can take at home to ensure that the abortion was successful.
Will Having an Abortion Harm My Health?
Abortion is risk-free. There is no harm to your overall health or your ability to have safe pregnancies in the future unless a rare and significant issue is not treated. Abortion does not increase your risk of cancer or promote depression or mental health problems. Abortions do not cause infertility. It is possible to become pregnant shortly after having an abortion. As a result, it's a good idea to consult with your nurse or doctor about a post-abortion birth control strategy.
It is uncommon to experience significant, long-term impacts on your mental health following an abortion. But everyone is different, and certain factors can make coping with an abortion difficult, such as having one for medical reasons or lacking support. Your nurse or doctor can talk to you about it, or they can refer you to a licensed counselor or a nonjudgmental support group.
