Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Termination of Pregnancy Treatment

Abortion

Abortion is the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus of the pregnant woman/patient. Pregnancy tissue and products of conception refer to the tissue produced as a result of the union of an egg and sperm before eight weeks. Other terms for abortion include induced abortion, elective abortion, therapeutic abortion and termination of pregnancy.

What Is Abortion?

Abortion is the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus of the pregnant woman/patient. Pregnancy tissue and products of conception refer to the tissue produced as a result of the union of an egg and sperm before eight weeks. Other terms for abortion include induced abortion, elective abortion, therapeutic abortion and termination of pregnancy.

For lots of reasons, many women/teens might have an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. Depending on a young woman’s beliefs and resources, she may choose to keep her child, place her child up for adoption, or have an abortion (which must be before 20 weeks). Having an abortion is often an emotional and complex decision for any woman of any age.

What are the choices for a woman who has an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy?

There are many things to think about before having an abortion, if a woman decides that an abortion is a right decision for her, the next things she’ll need to think about are her choices; whether she wants to have a:

  • Medical abortion (“abortion pill”)Page Image
  • Surgical abortion

What is medical abortion?

A medical abortion involves taking a prescribed medicine called Mifepristone which is also called the abortion pill. This pill is used to end an early pregnancy. It works by blocking progesterone, the hormone that builds up the lining of a woman’s uterus during the pregnancy. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus is not able to hold a pregnancy. As the lining of the uterus breaks, this results in the bleeding. The abortion pill is very effective; its success rate is about 96-98% of the time when a woman is 8 weeks pregnant or less. If taken between 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, the success rate decreases to about 93% effective. If the abortion pill doesn’t work a surgical abortion may be recommended.

Is medical abortion safe?

A medical abortion is considered safe; however, when taking any medication there’s always the possibility of having a complication. In a very small percentage of the time, the abortion pill is ineffective. If the pill doesn’t work, the pregnancy will need to be terminated by surgical abortion. It is very rare that someone has an allergic reaction to the pills, heavy bleeding, or infection. There is a possibility but it is very rare to have an incomplete abortion (some of the tissue is left behind in the womb) or an undetected pregnancy outside of the womb (ectopic pregnancy). Very rarely, a complication can be deadly.

There are some reasons why the abortion pill may not be the right choice for the woman.

The woman should not take the abortion pill if:

  • She is not sure that she wants to terminate the pregnancy
  • When the woman is pregnant for more than 9 weeks
  • The woman shouldn’t plan on taking the 2nd dose
  • If the woman can’t keep her follow-up appointment with her doctor
  • If the woman doesn’t have someone who can be with her when she takes the pills
  • If the woman has a blood-clotting disorder or if she takes any anti-blood clotting medicine
  • If she has an IUD (intrauterine birth control device) in place. This need to be removed before having a medical abortion.

What is a surgical abortion?

A surgical abortion is a method that ends the pregnancy, which is typically performed up to 14-16 weeks after the pregnant woman’s last period. A doctor or advanced practice nurse generally performs the procedure in an outpatient office or clinic, or in the hospital.

What is surgical abortion like?

First, relaxation and pain medicine are given to a pregnant woman. Next, the cervix is numbed, once the cervix is numbed, a thin tube is inserted into the vagina, via the cervix, and into the uterus. This thin tube is attached to a special vacuum. When the suction is turned on, the pregnancy tissues are removed. Sometimes tissues are also removed with the help of another medical instrument called a “curette”. Afterward, the doctor will generally prescribe an antibiotic and advice the patient to rest. If the patients have pain, heavy vaginal bleeding or tenderness in the abdomen, vaginal discharge that has an odor or looks like pus, or a temperature of 101° or more or maybe not feeling well, the patient must call her doctor or nurse at once.

Is it safe to have a surgical abortion?

An abortion done by a medical doctor or clinical nurse specialist today is typically a safe and routine procedure. Illegal abortions are expensive, painful and there is a high risk of infection because of unclean conditions and lack of follow-up care. Now abortions are performed in safe, clean offices with a staff of medical professionals who also provide counseling and after-care.

Although complications with a routine abortion are rare it is important to be aware of the possible risks involved:

  • Too much bleeding
  • Infection of the uterus and/or in the fallopian tubes
  • Damage to the womb and/or in the cervix

What are the risks involved?

The risks of a medical abortion include infection, bleeding and incomplete abortion, (some of the pregnancy tissue remains in the womb). These problems are very rare and can be treated. An incomplete abortion is handled by repeating the dose of medication to end the pregnancy or performing a suction D and C. An infection can also be treated with the help of antibiotics. Excessive bleeding is treated with the help of medications and possibly with the dilation and curettage. In a very rare condition, a blood transfusion may be necessary if bleeding is unusually heavy. The risks of surgical abortion are very low.

Does an abortion means not getting pregnant and having children in the future?

Since abortion became legal and regulated, there is very little risk in this procedure, so the woman’s future fertility should not be affected. Other factors such as a history of sexually transmitted infections can damage the fallopian tubes, making it difficult to become pregnant in the future.

Top Doctors for Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Top Hospitals for Obstetrics and Gynaecology