If you are experiencing an unplanned or unexpected pregnancy, you may be considering abortion as an option. Before making a decision, it’s important to gather information about the different types of procedures as well as the associated risks.
At Your Options Medical, our nurses will provide you with the important pretesting you need to make an informed decision regarding your pregnancy. You should be aware that most abortion clinics encourage you to have all your testing and counseling done on the same day as your procedure. While this may sound like a good idea, it denies you the right to know the status of your pregnancy as well as the time to process the information and discuss it with your support team.
Your Options Medical does not provide abortion or prenatal services nor are we an adoption agency.
Before you make a decision, it is important to confirm your pregnancy with a medical-grade pregnancy test administered by a trained professional. If your pregnancy test is positive at your visit, an ultrasound will be offered to determine how far along you are. Abortion procedures vary by how many weeks pregnant you are.
Ultrasound determines whether you have a viable pregnancy (approximately 20% of early pregnancies end in miscarriage), a single or multiple pregnancies and that the pregnancy is located in the uterus.
Having your pretesting done before deciding on which abortion procedure you choose or whether you actually want the procedure is important for your personal health and safety.
While we do not provide abortions, we encourage you to be educated on the types of procedures and the possible risks. Which abortion procedures are available to you depends on how many weeks you are pregnant. There are two main methods: a medical or “pill” abortion and a surgical abortion. If you are within the first eleven weeks of pregnancy, you are eligible for a medical abortion. If your pregnancy has progressed to the end of the first trimester or even to the second trimester, you are only eligible for a surgical abortion.
Medical abortions (abortion pill) is also called the “at-home abortion” because the procedure takes place outside of a medical office or clinic.
The first medication will cut off the flow of progesterone to the developing baby essentially preventing the baby from living.
The second medication will cause your uterus to expel the baby. This procedure will cause heavy bleeding and intense, painful cramping often accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, and chills. Large blood clots are passed (some the size of a lemon). You will also need to dispose of the blood clots yourself.
Follow up with a medical professional 1-2 weeks after taking these medications is essential in order to make certain the abortion is complete and that there are no fetal parts remaining in your uterus. An incomplete procedure is a serious medical concern.
Surgical abortions or “in-clinic” procedure is used to terminate a pregnancy in the first or second trimester. Because of fetal development, certain surgical tools must be used to extract the fetus from the uterus once the cervix is dilated. Surgical abortions are performed in a medical clinic or doctor’s office.
We are here to discuss your options with you. Your Options Medical does not provide or refer for abortion or adoption, nor do we provide pre-natal care. If you are considering abortion, make a free and confidential appointment at one of our convenient locations to talk to our staff about your situation.