Feeling like abortion is your only option is understandable, but it’s so important to know that abortion isn’t your only choice.
Abortion is a serious choice that terminates a pregnancy and removes it from your body—and it comes with side effects and risks.
It can be difficult to wade through all the misinformation about abortion, which is why we’ve compiled the essential facts you need to know about how abortion might affect you physically. Read on to learn more—or contact us today to schedule a free, confidential appointment to discover all the ways we’re here to support you.
Side Effects and Risks of Abortion
There are two types of abortion—medical (also known as the “abortion pill”) and surgical—and each type comes with unique side effects and risks.
Medical Abortion
There’s a lot of misinformation regarding medical abortion. However, it’s critical to know that the drugs used in a medical abortion are powerful and will cause vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping. Many women have reported that the pain they experienced was unexpectedly severe, and they didn’t feel prepared for it.
Medical abortion involves two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Together, these drugs will end your pregnancy and cause it to be expelled from your uterus and out through your vagina via uterine contractions.
After taking the drugs, your pregnancy will pass at home, and this can be distressing for many women. Furthermore, you might experience a risk, which can include:
- Blood clots
- Infection, which can become life-threatening
- Heavy blood loss (hemorrhaging)
- Increased risk of infertility
Surgical Abortion
Surgical abortion is performed in a clinical setting. According to A Woman’s Right to Know, “the doctor inserts a speculum to hold open the vagina, as is done for a pelvic exam, and injects or applies local anesthesia. The cervix is stretched open. Then the contents of the uterus, including the baby and placenta, are removed using a suction device that is inserted into the uterus.”
Risks of surgical abortion include:
- Hemorrhaging (heavy bleeding) with possible emergency hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) to end the bleeding
- Perforation of the uterus (a hole in the uterus)
- Injury to the bowel or bladder, if there is a perforation of the uterus, and abdominal incision and operation to correct injury
- Failure to remove all parts of the baby and other tissue, including the placenta, which may require another procedure (occurs in fewer than 5 per 100 procedures, or less than 5 percent)
- Increased risk of infertility (the inability to have a baby), if complications occur with the procedure
- Infection, which is usually caused by an infection the woman already had at the time of the abortion
How to Protect My Health
Getting an ultrasound is the number one way to protect your health before making any pregnancy decision.
This simple scan will give you the critical details you need to know about your pregnancy, including where it’s located (ruling out a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy), how far along it is (medical abortion is only FDA-approved if your pregnancy is 10 weeks gestation or under), and whether it’s viable (meaning you haven’t miscarried).
At Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach, we offer free ultrasound referrals and a safe space to talk about your options.
You’re not alone in this. Contact us today to learn about all the ways we’re here to help.