Abortion Information:

Procedures, Risks, & Safeguards

Confirm Pregnancy First

If you think you might be pregnant, you might feel overwhelmed at the very thought of being pregnant. You might be considering options like abortion. 

Before making your decision, it is very important to have your pregnancy confirmed with a medical test. There are many reasons that you could have missed your period or that you are experiencing other symptoms of pregnancy. There is no need to make an abortion decision now if you have not taken a medical grade pregnancy test yet. Even if you have taken a home test, it’s wise to take a medical grade test and even an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. We can provide pregnancy confirmation for you at FCC. 

Why Ultrasound?

1. An ultrasound is a highly effective tool in determining if your pregnancy is viable

An abortion procedure is performed on women who have a viable (capable of living) pregnancy. About 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, where a baby passes away of natural causes. Ultrasounds can detect a baby’s heartbeat, which is one of the factors indicating viability. If you have a miscarriage, talk to your doctor. You may need to seek miscarriage care from the hospital. 

 

2. Ultrasounds can determine if your pregnancy is in your uterus

Ectopic pregnancy is a rare, but highly dangerous, condition for mom and lethal for baby. This condition requires emergency medical care. The abortion pill does not work on ectopic pregnancies, and the symptoms of chemical abortion mimic ectopic symptoms. This means a woman with an ectopic pregnancy who takes the abortion pills will likely delay seeking life-saving medical care because she believes her symptoms to be normal; caused by the pills. An ultrasound can inform you if your pregnancy is in your uterus. 

3. An ultrasound will measure how far along you are

Abortion procedures vary depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy. It is extremely important to know how far along you are before taking the pill, because it becomes less effective the farther along you are. This can lead to complications, such as an incomplete abortion, heavy bleeding, hemorrhage, and infection. There are also state laws regarding how far along a woman can be to obtain a legal abortion.

Abortion Procedures & Risks

1Medication Abortion (up to 10 weeks of pregnancy)

Also known as: RU-486, the Abortion Pill, Chemical Abortion

You may have heard of the abortion pill referred to by different names. Even though the terms may be different, the medication is the same. The Abortion Pill is not the same as emergency contraception (i.e. Morning After Pill, Plan B, Ella). Medical abortion is a procedure that uses medication to end a known pregnancy up to 10 weeks gestation. Some people claim that it may be used at 11, 12, even up to 15 weeks gestation, but the data shows that the effectiveness of the regimen declines and the health risks increase after 11 weeks. You should be given a physical examination from a doctor to determine whether you’re a candidate for RU-486, and you should be given an ultrasound to ensure that you really are pregnant and within the gestational dating that RU-486 can be prescribed. Unfortunately, women have taken the abortion pills when they were not even pregnant. Ordering the abortion pill online bypasses all of the safeguards that protect you from danger, such as a pregnancy test and ultrasound. This is why having an ultrasound is essential if you are considering medical abortion. The potential health risks of medication abortion include: bleeding, fatal infections such as sepsis, undiagnosed ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, and incomplete abortion. 

Taking the abortion pill is a three-step process:

If you are considering a medication abortion, you deserve complete and honest information about the procedure & risks associated with it, and counseling on all other options available to you before you make a decision. You also need to know if you are truly pregnant and how far along you are with an ultrasound. Contact us today and we will provide you with all of those services, free of cost. No insurance is needed. Everything you share will be confidential and we will treat you with care and respect and without judgement. Though we do not refer or provide abortions, we’re here to help you walk you through all of your pregnancy options, offer alternatives, explain the risks, and encourage you through any distress you may be feeling.

2First-Trimester Aspiration Abortion (up to 12-13 weeks of pregnancy) Also known as surgical abortion. 

If you are considering a first trimester surgical abortion, you deserve complete, honest information on the procedure and the risks that it entails. You also deserve to know all of the alternatives and resources available to you. Schedule an appointment or walk-in during open hours for a confidential consultation at no cost to you.

3Dilation & Evacuation (D&E) Second or Third Trimester (roughly 13 weeks of pregnancy and onward) 

If you are thinking about abortion, you are not alone. There are a number of options available to you that do not include abortion. As with any medical procedure, it’s important to understand what the abortion entails, side effects, possible risks, complications, and alternatives. If you are ready to talk to someone about your situation, call us and we can provide you with compassionate and confidential help.

  1. Medical Abortion. Mayo Clinic Website:https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/medical-abortion/about/pac-20394687. Published May 14, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. Controversial Oklahoma City abortion doctor stripped of medical license. Oklahoma News 4 Website: https://kfor.com/news/controversial-oklahoma-city-abortion-doctor-stripped-of-medical-license. Published January 14, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  3. “Clinical Trials Experience,” Danco Labratories, last modified March 2016, http://www.earlyoptionpill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Prescribing-Info-and-MG_BW.pdf .
  4. Abortion (Termination of Pregnancy). Harvard University Website:https://www.health.harvard.edu/medical-tests-and-procedures/abortion-termination-of-pregnancy-a-to-zPublished January 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  5. Dilation and curettage. Mayo Clinic Website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dilation-and-curettage/about/pac-20384910. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  6. Questions and answers on late-term abortion. Charlotte Lozier Institute Website: https://lozierinstitute.org/questions-and-answers-on-late-term-abortion. Published February 24, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.