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ABORTION OPTIONS
MEDICAL ABORTION (The Abortion Pill RU-486)
• WHAT IS MEDICAL ABORTION AND HOW
DOES IT WORK?
• WHY CHOOSE MEDICAL ABORTION?
• WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH MEDICAL ABORTION?
Surgical Abortion D&C Procedure (Gentle Vacuum Aspiration Abortion)
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
• Is surgical abortion safe?
• Will the procedure be painful?
•
Will I need someone to drive me?
• How long will it take?
• Do I need to
return?
• Can someone be in the room with me while I have the abortion procedure?
•
Can I still have children at a different point in my life?
At My Choice Medical Center you have two options for abortion:
Medical Abortion or
Surgical Abortion
MEDICAL ABORTION (The Abortion Pill RU-486)
WHAT IS MEDICAL ABORTION AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Medical Abortion is an option
to end an early pregnancy (up to 49 days after the first day of a woman‚ last menstrual
cycle
) in three steps:
STEP ONE: The medication Mifepristone (also known as RU-486) which works by blocking the hormone progesterone without which the lining of the uterus breaks down and pregnancy cannot continue. This pill is given to you by either the doctor or one of our nurse practitioners, during your first clinical visit. Some patients begin bleeding shortly after taking this pill, others do not. Whenever you do start bleeding you will start taking the antibiotics that we send you home with. We will call you that same evening to see how you are doing, ask if you have any questions or concerns, and remind you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
STEP TWO: 48 hours after taking the first pill it will be time for you to take the second medication, Cytotec. Set some time aside for you and surround yourself with whatever helps you to feel comfortable. You will have four of these pills which you will need to tuck inside of your cheeks, two on each side. You will need to let them dissolve for 20-30 minutes. This medication will cause cramping of the uterus to expel its contents. Some women experience bleeding lighter than a period and don't notice cramps. Other women have bleeding that is much heavier than their normal period and have cramps that they find INTENSE during the expulsion phase. It is important for me to know that everything within this range is normal. Bleeding and cramps should diminish once everything is expelled. Significant cramping usually will last no longer than 24 hours. You may take up to 800 mg of Motrin every four to six hours to aid with cramping and heavy bleeding.
STEP THREE: Time for your follow up visit. We will need to see you in order to make sure your abortion is complete and that you are well. We will draw blood to make sure that your hormone levels have decreased and also do a pelvic ultrasound to give you the final "A-OK."
WHY CHOOSE MEDICAL ABORTION?
You can complete the process of abortion in the privacy
of your own home. There is no need for anesthesia if you choose to have a medical
abortion. Medical Abortion (RU-486) is less invasive than the Gentle Vacuum Aspiration
Abortion procedure.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ABORTION?
An allergic reaction to either
of the pills, incomplete abortion (need for surgical D&C abortion, also known as
Gentle Vacuum Aspiration Abortion), Infection, Undetected ectopic pregnancy, or very
heavy bleeding. A second dose of mifepristone may be needed.
Surgical Abortion D&C Procedure (Gentle Vacuum Aspiration Abortion)
This abortion procedure is the safest and least traumatic available. The three main
steps involved are:
1.) An injection, to numb the cervix
2.) The insertion of a small flexible plastic cannula (sterile tube) through the natural opening to the uterus, the cervix
3.) Removal of the pregnancy by suction, which is created by an aspiration machine. The actual gentle suction part of the procedure normally takes about two minutes.
This procedure may cause some cramps which usually go away quickly, less than half an hour. Some bleeding and cramps are to be expected for one week or so. Surgical abortion has been legal in the U.S. since 1973 and is very effective (about 99% successful) and has a very low risk of injury or infection when done properly by qualified clinicians.
A simple local anesthetic is administered to numb the cervix. There are fewer risks with abortion performed with a local anesthetic than with a general anesthetic. General anesthesia temporarily depresses both the circulatory and respiratory systems of the body. It also requires monitoring equipment and your recovery will be longer after the abortion.
Curettage is unnecessary for early abortion. A curette is the instrument used in a D&C (Dilation and Currettage) procedure. While the D&C procedure has been used to perform abortion in the past, it is far less desirable than the vacuum aspiration abortion. Physicians that are not up to date or inexperienced may offer a D&C to perform your abortion.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Is surgical abortion safe?
Even though abortion is a surgical procedure with minimal
risks and complications, the first trimester (before 12 weeks) D&C procedure (Gentle
Vacuum Aspiration Abortion) that we perform is relatively minor and extremely safe.
2. Will the procedure be painful?
You will be provided with two oral medications,
Vicoprofen and Valium, approximately 15 minutes before the start of the procedure.
These two medications will make you groggy but not unconscious. At the start of the
procedure local anesthesia will be administered to the cervix. During the procedure
you will feel some cramping which is comparable to strong menstrual cramps. The cramps
will resolve within 15 to 20 minutes after the procedure and by the time you leave
you will be pain free.
3. Will I need someone to drive me?
Yes. Since you will be under the influence of
Vicoprofen and Valium you will need to have someone drive you home. If you don't
have someone available to drive you, that's not a problem. We are more than happy
to assist you by calling our trusted Taxi service that is friendly, caring and reasonable.
4. How long will it take?
From the time you enter the center you should be finished
in about one hour. The actual procedure takes under ten minutes, but we realize each
woman is an individual with their own personal needs. We are here for you every step
of the way.
5. Do I need to return?
Absolutely. We need you to return to see us in seven days
for your follow up appointment to see how you are doing and to set you up with birth
control. If you have any concerns or questions before the scheduled follow up we
encourage you to call us day or night or come in and see us sooner. If your blood
type is Rh Negative we need you to return for the Rhogam shot within 48 hours. If
you don't know what blood type you are, don't worry. We will draw your blood for
you and give you a call as soon as your results are in from the lab.
6. Can someone be in the room with me while I have the abortion procedure?
Sure.
You are more than welcome to have someone with you in the procedure room to lend
their support. Your comfort is our priority. We are more then happy to do whatever
it takes to make your time with us as comfortable as possible.
7. Can I still have children at a different point in my life?
Regardless of method,
abortion is 20 times safer than childbirth. Infections are the greatest threat to
fertility, NOT abortion. Childbearing is not affected, barring rare, serious complications.