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Abortion Education
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may feel pressured to make an immediate decision. You may also feel that there is only one choice. However, "choice" means that you have options to choose from.
If you are thinking about abortion, please contact us before you make a final decision. We are here to help you sort through all of your questions and concerns. There is a lot to educate yourself on, and we are here to help you make an informed choice.
Methods of Abortions
RU486, Mifepristone: (Abortion Pill) - Within 4 to 7 weeks after LMP
This drug is only approved for use in women up to the 49th day after their last menstrual period. The procedure usually requires three office visits. On the first visit, the woman is given pills to cause the death of the embryo. Two days later, if the abortion has not occurred, she is given a second drug which causes cramps to expel the embryo. The last visit is a follow up ultrasound to determine if the procedure has been completed.
RU486 will not work in the case of an ectopic pregnancy. This is a potentially life-threatening condition in which the embryo lodges outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. If not diagnosed early, the tube may burst, causing internal bleeding and in some cases, the death of the woman. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Manual Vacuum Aspiration: up to 7 weeks after last menstrual period (LMP)
This surgical abortion is done early in the pregnancy up until 7 weeks after the woman's last menstrual period. A long, thin tube is inserted into the uterus. A large syringe is attached to the tube and the embryo is suctioned out. 5. 6.
Suction Curettage: between 6 to 14 weeks after LMP
This is the most common surgical abortion procedure. Because the baby is larger, the doctor must first stretch open the cervix using metal rods. Opening the cervix may be painful, so local or general anesthesia is typically needed. After the cervix is stretched open, the doctor inserts a hard plastic tube into the uterus, and then connects this tube to a suction machine. The suction pulls the fetus' body apart and out of the uterus. The doctor may also use a loop-shaped knife called a curette to scrape the fetus and fetal parts out of the uterus. (The doctor may refer to the fetus and fetal parts as the “products of conception”). 7. 8, 9.
Abortion is not just a simple procedure; it may have many side effects. Abortion has been associated with preterm birth, emotion and psychological impact, and spiritual consequences. 10. 11. 12. 13. Please contact our center so that you can make an informed choice.
Our center offers peer counseling and medically sourced information about all pregnancy options; however we do not offer or refer for abortion services.
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REFERENCES
1. Mifeprex (mifepristone) Information. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/mifepristone/default.htm (accessed January 22, 2009))
2. Mifeprex Package Insert (U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved label), July 2005.
3. Gary M, Harrison D. Analysis of severe adverse events related to the use of Mifepristone as an abortifacient. The Annals of Pharmacology 2006; 40.
4. Medical Management of Abortion. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 67. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists October 2005.
5. Induced Abortion. ACOG Patient Education Pamphlet, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. June 2007
6. Rock J, Thompson J. TeLinde's Operative Gynecology, 8th edition, Lippincott-Raven, 1997.
7. Induced Abortion, ACOG.
8. Rock J, Thompson J. TeLinde's Operative Gynecology.
9. Fox MC, et al. Cervical Preparation for Second Trimester Surgical Abortion Prior to 20 weeks. Contraception 2007; 76(6):486-95
10. Rooney B, Calhoun B. Induced abortion and risk of later premature births. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons 2003; 8(2):46-49.
11. Ancel P, et al. History of induced abortion as a risk factor for preterm birth in European countries; results of the EUROPOP survey. Human Reproduction 2004; 19(3)734-760
12. Behrman R, Stith B. Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science, 2006.
13. Thorp JM, Shadigian E, et al. Long-term physical and psychological health consequences of induced abortion: review of the evidence. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey 2003; 58(1):67-79.
Care Net Pregnancy Center of the Lakes Region
603.528.3121 or toll free 1.800.395.4357
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