Every year approximately , women in the United States choose to have an abortion, according to the Center for Disease Control. More than half of the total number of women who have obtained an abortion, a full sixty-percent, are already mothers. Yet, abortion can often feel like a lonely and complicated decision. Here to make it just a little easier, in many regards, is this abortion timeline. In most states, abortion is an option up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Some states cap their restriction at weeks gestation. Unless a physician or state law prohibits, you are able to receive abortion services as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. Abortion procedures performed in the late stages of the second trimester and throughout the third are typically performed due to complications with the fetus or the mother.
Information on abortion laws in your state can be found at the Guttmacher Institute. Now, more below on the specifics of each method. Typically, the earliest abortions are performed at weeks of pregnancy, however, this does vary by state. Though abortion can be performed earlier, weeks is generally when women begin experiencing symptoms of pregnancy, with a missed period often being the first sign.
A pregnancy test and ultrasound will confirm pregnancy and will be performed before abortion procedures to determine gestational age to determine which method is to be used to terminate the pregnancy. If you are under ten weeks pregnant, chances are the method chosen will be a medical abortion, which involves a pill taken at home. Since In fact, only 1. While abortions this late are acceptable in most states if medically necessary, it is not a choice most women or physicians make since the possibility for complications becomes greater.
A missed period is often the first sign of pregnancy, and this could be as early as one week from fertilization, and typically within four weeks.
It may take you time to make the decision to terminate your pregnancy. But if this is not the case, you can seek abortion once pregnancy is confirmed. When should you see a doctor? How will you know what decision is right for you? Carefully think through your choices, which are to: Have a baby, and support and raise your child to adulthood. Have a baby, and place the baby for adoption. Have an abortion. When can an abortion be done? How safe is abortion? Will you be able to have children in the future?
Examinations and Tests Examinations and tests are used to diagnose a pregnancy and to check for any health conditions you may have that need special consideration. A physical examination before an abortion includes: Taking your vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate. Listening to your heart and lungs. Performing a pelvic examination to find out the size and shape of your uterus. The size of the uterus can help estimate the number of weeks you are pregnant.
A pelvic examination also allows your doctor to check the ovaries and fallopian tubes for a possible tubal ectopic pregnancy , which would feel like an abnormal mass in the pelvis.
Laboratory tests before an abortion include: A urine pregnancy test to find out if you are pregnant. You may have missed a menstrual cycle for another reason, such as stress, and not because you are pregnant.
A blood test to find out: Whether you have low blood iron anemia. If you have anemia, your doctor may want you to take some iron supplements before and after an abortion. Your blood type and whether you are Rh-negative. If you are Rh-negative , you should receive a vaccine called Rh immunoglobulin after an abortion. For more information, see the topic Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy. This is not a routine test before an abortion but may be done to reduce the risk of complications, such as an infection, after the procedure.
A Pap smear to check for cervical cell abnormalities dysplasia , if you are due for one not a routine test before an abortion. Choices: Medical Abortion Medical abortion is the use of medicines to end a pregnancy. At the first visit, your doctor will give you one medicine to take during the visit or at home. You will take the second medicine 24 hours after the first medicine.
Bleeding and cramping starts within a few hours after you have taken the second medicine. Cramps may be strong. You can take ibuprofen also called Aleve or Motrin to help with pain. Bleeding will be heavier than a regular period and will have some clots until the pregnancy has passed. Vaginal bleeding may last about 14 days. You will see your doctor, or go to a lab for a test, 7 to 14 days after taking the medicine.
This is to see if you are recovering well and to make sure the medicines worked. Medical care before and after a medical abortion includes physical examinations and lab tests, education about what to expect, self-care instructions, information on when to call your doctor, and birth control planning. Mifepristone blocks the effects of the hormone progesterone. This stops the placenta 's growth and softens the cervix. Misoprostol is then used to trigger uterine cramping to clear the uterus of all tissue.
This hormone softens and opens dilates the cervix and triggers uterine cramping to clear the uterus of all tissue. Misoprostol used alone may end a pregnancy. But it works much better in first-trimester abortions when it's used with other medicines, such as methotrexate.
Methotrexate and misoprostol. Methotrexate interferes with the placenta's growth. Misoprostol is then used to triggers uterine cramping to clear the uterus of all tissue. Choices: Surgical Abortion A surgical abortion ends a pregnancy by surgically removing the contents of the uterus. Surgical methods in the first trimester 5 to 12 weeks Manual vacuum aspiration MVA or machine vacuum aspiration uses suction through a small tube to empty the uterus of all tissue.
Non-surgical method in the second trimester Induction abortion ends a second-trimester pregnancy by using medicines to start induce contractions, which expel push the fetus from the uterus. If the fetus has severe medical problems, a woman may choose to have an induction abortion.
What to Think About Your abortion options are affected by your medical history, how many weeks pregnant you are, and what options are available in your region.
It draws tissue out of the uterus. Machine vacuum aspiration uses a tube attached to an electric pump. It draws tissue from within the uterus. Can only be used during early pregnancy up to about 10 weeks Can be used from early to mid-pregnancy: Manual vacuum aspiration MVA can be used as early as 5 weeks, and as late as 12 weeks after the last menstrual period.
If you're less than 10 weeks pregnant and having a medical abortion, the hospital or clinic can usually give you the second dose of medicine to take at home. Most people having an abortion do not usually need to stay in the clinic or hospital overnight, but you may need to go to appointments on different days. Before having an abortion, you'll need to have an assessment appointment.
This usually happens at the hospital or clinic, but you may be offered a phone or video assessment. When you're sure you want to have an abortion, you'll be asked to sign a consent form and the clinic or hospital will arrange a date for the abortion. Abortion services are still open. You can self-refer by contacting an abortion provider directly. You may be able to have a medical abortion at home, without going to a hospital or clinic, if you're less than 10 weeks pregnant.
If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant, an abortion provider can discuss your options with you. In very limited circumstances an abortion can take place after 24 weeks — for example, if there's a risk to life or there are problems with the baby's development.
The medicines are prescribed by the hospital or clinic, and you usually take them 1 or 2 days apart. However, there is a way you can find out for sure how far along you are. When you visit a private abortion clinic , the doctor can perform an ultrasound scan to check on the pregnancy. The scan can confirm that you are pregnant, rule out issues such as ectopic pregnancy, and give you an accurate date for the pregnancy.
Even if you know when your last period started, it can still be a good idea to get confirmation from the scan. Abortions can be carried out as soon as you find out that you are pregnant.
In most cases, this will be after your first missed period at 4 weeks. However, many women wait a little longer before taking a pregnancy test or visiting the clinic.
Once you have seen the doctor, you can have the abortion very quickly. At a private clinic, you will be able to make appointment on the same or next day. If you decide to go ahead with the abortion then the procedure could be completed in just a few days. You will need two further appointments, two days apart, in order to take the medications required for a medical abortion.
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