There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical. How far along you are in your pregnancy usually determines which type you qualify for. Although all abortions involve a measure of bleeding and cramping, it’s vital to know the specifics in case you have complications.
The Embrace team wants to help protect your health and safety. Although Embrace does not perform or refer for abortion, you can receive the factual information you need to be prepared. Schedule a no-cost, confidential appointment at Embrace today.
Is Your Pregnancy 10 Weeks or Less?
The FDA approves the use of abortion drugs through 10 weeks of pregnancy. They highly regulate the first drug, mifepristone. Only certified providers can prescribe it, and they don’t recommend purchasing the drug online.
A medical abortion is also known as the abortion pill method, a chemical or medication abortion. You take two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol.
Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone from reaching the uterus. Progesterone is essential for pregnancy development, and a lack of it causes the pregnancy to end.
The second drug, misoprostol, causes bleeding and contractions to expel the pregnancy from the body. Women in one study reported intense pain when using abortion drugs, but every woman responded differently.
Heavy and prolonged bleeding is one risk of medication abortion. Experts recommend not using this method if you do not have access to emergency care.
Your Surgical Abortion Options
Abortion providers use vacuum or suction aspiration for early surgical procedures. As your pregnancy progresses, the provider may use a medical instrument called a curette to scrape the lining of your uterus. Or, later pregnancies may require the use of forceps to remove larger parts.
A surgical procedure is faster than a medication abortion, which generally takes several days. But, surgical abortions are often more expensive because they are performed in a clinic or hospital.
A surgical abortion may also require dilation (opening) of your cervix and either general or local anesthesia. These can also raise the cost.
How Do I Get the Information I Need?
Start by verifying your pregnancy with no-cost laboratory-quality urine pregnancy testing at Embrace. Even if you’ve taken a home pregnancy test, getting a second test is essential.
Embrace offers a no-cost limited sonogram if your pregnancy test from us is positive. A sonogram determines how far along you are in your pregnancy, if it’s located correctly, and if it’s developing or if you’ve had a miscarriage. It is estimated as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in a natural miscarriage, so getting a sonogram is critical.
You can conveniently schedule an appointment online, call us at (316) 945-9400, or text us at (316) 800-9501. Embrace is here for you.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.