In North Carolina, abortion is an option for pregnancy up to viability (unless the woman’s life is endangered). Although this procedure may seem like a convenient solution for an unexpected pregnancy, it does come with legitimate risks that should be evaluated.
Read this article for a deeper understanding of each type of abortion and the associated risks.
Surgical Abortion
Depending on how far along you are, there are two types of surgical abortion. If you are in the first trimester, you will qualify for a D&C, also called suction aspiration. This usually entails gentle suction to remove pregnancy remnants.
A Dilation & Evacuation (D&E) usually occurs in the second trimester and requires more than one hospital visit. After dilation, the physician, guided by ultrasound, will use suction and surgical tools to remove the pregnancy.
Risks of a Surgical Abortion
If your pregnancy is less than 14 weeks gestational age, the main risks are:
- Incomplete abortion: this happens to about 35 out of 1,000 women
- Heavy bleeding
- Damage to the womb (which can affect future infertility, according to Cleveland Clinic)
- Sepsis: this happens to about 1 out of 1,000 women
According to the Mayo Clinic, other possible complications include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating
- Feeling faint
- Fever
- Cramps lasting more than 48 hours
- Pain that gets worse instead of better
- Foul-smelling discharge from the vagina
- Perforation of the uterus
- Damage to the cervix
The Abortion Pill
The abortion pill, also known as an abortion medication, is a series of two drugs. The first, mifepristone, is used to end the pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone from reaching the pregnancy.
Misoprostol is taken 24-48 hours after the second medication. This second medication induces cramping, so the uterus expels the pregnancy remnants.
Risks of the Abortion Pill
According to the Mayo Clinic, potential risks of medical abortion (pregnancy ended by medication) include:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive system discomfort
How Do I Know What I Qualify For?
If you are curious about what option you qualify for, the first step we recommend is a reliable pregnancy test and then scheduling an ultrasound.
At our center, we offer no-cost limited ultrasound services. This scan helps confirm the pregnancy’s age, location, and viability.
The results of the ultrasound can help determine if your pregnancy is still viable, so you know if you need treatment for a miscarriage. Ultrasounds can also confirm the location of the pregnancy, so you can know whether or not it is an ectopic pregnancy.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
