Abortion
When facing an unplanned pregnancy it is important for a woman to know more about her options. In fact, she should fully understand all of her options so she can make the best choice for her individual situation. Abortion is an option many women facing an unplanned pregnancy explore. However, the prospect of having an abortion procedure can be frightening and overwhelming. Knowing more about abortion is an important part of dealing with an unexpected pregnancy.
Abortion Explained
The abortion procedure terminates a pregnancy. During the procedure the embryo or fetus is removed (aborted) from the uterus and the pregnancy ends. Technically, an abortion can also occur spontaneously, although this is medically termed a miscarriage. Spontaneous abortion or miscarriage occurs most frequently in the early weeks of pregnancy and in just 2% of pregnancies after the eighth week.
Common Abortion Methods and Procedures
In the United States 10% of all abortion procedures are non-surgical. These are called medical abortions and they terminate pregnancies through the use of certain medications. These medications would include methotrexate, mifepritine, misoprostol and gemeprost. This method of termination can only be performed in the first trimester of a pregnancy and it is most effective in the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. In some cases this method of termination fails and further intervention is required.
There are a number of different surgical techniques used to terminate a pregnancy as well. Up until the twelfth week of gestation, the suction aspiration method of abortion is the most common procedure used. During this procedure the fetus or embryo along with the placenta and tissue is removed either using a syringe or vacuum.
After the twelfth week of gestation a woman will most likely require dilation of her cervix to successfully abort a pregnancy. This requires either a procedure called a D and E, or dilation and evacuation, or a D and C, or dilation and curettage. The D and C is the second most common abortion method used to terminate a pregnancy. This is the widely considered the safest method of abortion. This is because during this procedure the uterus is examined and carefully cleaned out, which minimizes the risk of bleeding and complications.
Abortion Safety and Risks
When performed early on, surgical abortion procedures are quite safe. However, like any minor surgical procedure there are some risks and complications associated with abortion. These risks and complications are significantly less for those who terminate their pregnancy before they reach 16 weeks gestation.
After an abortion most women experience minor discomfort that can be relived with over-the-counter pain medications. They will also experience some bleeding. The bleeding can be heavy at times and may include clots. Spotting can last for six weeks following an abortion.
Though the risk of complications is minimal, there are risks that women considering an abortion should be aware of. Those risk would include infection, injury, incomplete abortion, allergic reaction and heavy bleeding. Most of these complications can be treated with further medical intervention when detected early on.
Abortion Costs
Although some do, most managed health care plans do not cover abortion procedures. The cost of an abortion can range from $350 to upwards of $900 dollars when it is done in the first trimester. The further along in gestation a woman is, the more costly the procedure becomes. Some of the other factors that determine the cost of an abortion would include geographic location, facility type and the method of abortion. Hospitals are generally the most costly when it comes to terminating a pregnancy, whereas health care clinics tend to be the most affordable in terms of cost.
