Select the Photo Below to Learn More!

Abortion Info
  
What is an abortion?

Abortion refers to the artificial (meaning not natural as in miscarriage) ending of a 
pregnancy, for whatever reason. Most people call the spontaneous loss of a
pregnancy a miscarriage rather than an abortion.

Abortions were legalized in January 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court and doctors
began using the term abortion referring to the pregnancy that a woman terminated
and the term miscarriage for a pregnancy that a woman lost spontaneously.

Are there different types of abortion? 

Yes, there are surgical and medical/chemical abortions.

Surgical Abortion - implies the use of surgical instruments to remove the fetus
from the uterus or the placing of instillations in the uterus to stop the fetus from
developing.

Medical/Chemical Abortion - implies the administration of drugs to the pregnant
woman to stop the fetus from developing and expel it from the uterus.

TYPES OF SURGICAL ABORTIONS

Suction Aspiration
Up to 12 weeks. A powerful suction tube is inserted through the cervix and into the womb. The force of the suction pulls the fetus apart; fetal body parts and the placenta are suctioned into a jar.

Dilation and Curettage (D&C)
Up to 14 weeks. The cervix is dilated (stretched open) and a special loop-shaped knife (curette) is used to cut the fetus into small pieces and scrape the inside of the womb. Fetal pieces are pulled out of the womb through the cervix with tubing attached to a suction machine.

Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
13-20 weeks. The cervix is stretched open. Using forceps, the doctor dismembers and removes the fetus in pieces from the womb. To make sure no fetal parts are left inside, the fetus is then "reassembled" and the uterus is suctioned out and/or scraped.

Induction
After 15 weeks. A lethal chemical is injected directly into the heart of the fetus. then the mother is given prostaglandin to induce labor,and the fetus is xpelled.


TYPES OF MEDICAL/CHEMICAL ABORTIONS

Morning after pill (MAP) / Emergency Contraception (EC) Emergency Contraception (EC) is a series of series of pills    
taken by women within 72 hours after engaging in sexual intercourse. (Conception can occur within 15 minutes after sexual intercourse). EC can work in 3 different ways: (1) It can prevent or delay ovulation, restricting the release of an egg from the women's ovary; (2) It can prevent conception, or the fertilization of an egg that has been released; and (3) It can also interfere with the implantation (attachment) of an embryo (baby) in the uterus. If the last has occurred, the drugs make the uterus inhospitable for the baby to attach, causing a very early abortion. There is no way to know which of the three possible effects will occur. It is a medical fact that the life that comes into being at the moment of conception(when egg and sperm meet) is entirely unique, and distinct from his/her mother and father. If you value the human life that begins at conception, you will want to avoid using EC. This method fails 25% of the time. Some medical authorities have indicated there is also an increased risk of ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, which can be life threatening.

RU-486 (the Abortion Pill)
Used 5 to 7 weeks (up tp 49 days LMP). RU-486 is a combination of two drugs. The first, Mifepristone (Mifeprex), blocks production of progesterone, a hormone your body needs to sustain the baby's life. After the baby dies, the mother is given the second drug, Misoprostol. In a few hours, contractions begin and the fetus is expelled. This may happen at any time or place over the span of several days or sometimes several weeks. Two weeks later, the woman returns to the doctor for an examination to be sure the abortion was completed. If the abortion failed, the woman must have a surgical abortion because of risks to the mother and the high risk of fetal deformities from the drugs.

M & M Method
Used 5-9 weeks LMP. As with RU-486, the pregnant woman is given two drugs. The first is Methotrexate (a cancer drug), which stops cell growth and prevents the baby from being implanted in mother's womb. The second drug, Misoprostol (an ulcer drug), causes contractions to expel the baby. As with RU-486, this may happen at any time or place over the span of several days or sometimes weeks. Two weeks later the woman returns to her doctor for an examination to be sure the abortion was completed. If the abortion failed (up to 10% fail), the woman must have a surgical abortion because of risks to the mother and the high risk of fetal deformities from the drugs.


How does the medical professional determine what type of abortion to   
perform?

The method of abortion is determined by how far along a woman is in her
pregnancy. Because it can be difficult to know exactly what day a woman   
conceived, medical professionals will usually refer to pregnancy in terms of the
time since the last menstrual period (LMP).

Before an abortion procedure can take place, a woman is given a pregnancy test   
(urine or blood test), a test for RH factor in the blood, a blood test for anemia, an
internal (pelvic) exam, and possibly an ultrasound.

Considering Abortion?

Abortion is a serious medical procedure. If you're considering abortion, you need to know if you're pregnant, is your pregnancy normal, and how far along you are in your pregnancy.

You definitely need to know your rights with abortion providers and the short-term
and long-term risks to consider. Select the photo to the left to learn more about your rights. 

We at A+ Women's Care can discuss your pregnancy concerns, sexual health,
and present all of your options. 


A+ Services Available at No Cost...Never a Charge.