Facing an unplanned pregnancy is hard. Fear, confusion, and anger are just some of the feelings that you may be experiencing. Before you decide, you deserve to know the facts. The law gives you the right to be fully informed about this important decision. | |
| Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure. For many women, it is a life changing event that has significant physical, emotional, and spiritual effects. Most women who struggle with past abortions say that they wish they had been told all of the facts about abortion. Please email us to set up an appointment to learn more about abortion procedures or click on the Abortion Procedures tab to the right of the page. |
| Some risks of abortion include: Heavy bleeding, Infection, Incomplete abortion, Sepsis, Anesthesia complications, Damage to the cervix, Scarring of the Uterine lining, Perforation of the Uterus, and Damage to the Internal Organs. |
| Medical experts are still researching and debating the linkage between abortion and breast cancer. Here are some important facts: Carrying your first pregnancy to full term gives protection against breast cancer and choosing abortion causes loss of that protection, and a number of reliable studies have concluded that there may be a link between abortion and the later development of breast cancer. |
| There is evidence that abortion is associated with a decrease in emotional health. For some women these negative emotions may be very strong, and can appear within days or after many years. This psychological response is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of the symptoms are: Eating disorders, Relationship problems, Guilt, Depression, Flashbacks of abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual dysfunction, and Alcohol and drug abuse. |
| Explore Your Options. You have the legal right to choose the outcome of your pregnancy. But real empowerment comes when you find the strength and resources necessary to make your best choice. |
| Here are some other options: 1. Parenting - Choosing to continue your pregnancy and to parent it very challenging. But with the support of caring people, parenting classes, and other resources, many women find the help they need to make this choice. 2. Adoption - You may decide to make an adoption plan for your child. |
| Each year over 50,000 women in America make this choice. This loving decision is often made by women who first thought abortion was their only way out. Help is available. We are here to help. Want more information about anything said here? Contact us via email or by phone 304-622-1953. |
| Remember, no person will have to live with the effects of this decision as much as you will. If your boyfriend or parents are pressuring you to make a quick decision, explain your needs and try to involve them in counseling to explore other options. You have the right to continue with this pregnancy.
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Abortion Procedures...
RU-486 is a medical abortion that is used very early in pregnancy, no later than nine weeks after your last period. Your doctor would either give you an oral dose of, or inject you with, Mifepristone. This drug stops the natural function of your body. The lining of your uterus softens and breaks down. Two days later you would return to the clinic for a checkup. If the baby hasn't been expelled, you would be given another drug (Cytotec or Misoprostol) to make your cervix dilate and your uterus contract, to push the baby from your body-similar to what happens during labor. This procedure can cause cramping, bleeding, nausea and diarrhea. In some cases, this procedure results in a failed abortion. If so, the doctor will want to surgically extract the fetus. |
Surgical Abortion
Suction Aspiration
For this procedure you lie on your back with your feet in stirrups, and the doctor applies a shot of anesthetic to your cervix to reduce pain. Your cervical muscle is stretched with cone-shaped rods until the opening is wide enough to allow the abortion tools to pass into your uterus. Then the doctor guides the suction device through the cervix and into your uterus. When the suction machine is turned on, you feel the strong force of the vacuum which is used to pull the placenta and fetus into parts small enough to pass out of your body through the suction tube.
The doctors opens your cervix, as in a suction procedure, but in this case the abortion is done with a loop-shaped knife which is used to scrape the wall of your uterus, cutting the fetus and placenta into smaller parts-which are pulled out of your body through the cervix. There is a higher risk of your uterus being perforated with this procedure. A general anesthesia is usually required. |
After 14 Weeks
Because the bones of the fetus are larger and stronger by this time, the doctor uses a medical instrument resembling pliers to pull the fetus into smaller parts and removes those parts from your body through the cervix. This procedure requires your cervix to be opened wider than with suction or D & C procedures, and there is a greater risk of harm to your reproductive organs. |
After 22 Weeks
Laminaria (a type of seaweed that expands when moist) is used to dilate the cervix over a two-day period. On the third day, the membranes are ruptured. An ultrasound is used to locate the lower extremities. The doctor then uses large forceps to grasp a leg, and pull it down into the vagina. After the body is delivered, the skull is lodged at the cervical opening. The doctor makes an incision in the base of the fetal skull, inserts a suction catheter and empties the contents of the baby's skull. Damage to your body may occur due to extensive stretching of the cervix during the procedure.
THIS CENTER DOES NOT PERFORM OR REFER FOR ABORTIONS
Courtesy:
Frontlines Publishing 2004, Care Net 2007 'Before You Decide' This information is for general education purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional and/or medical advice. |
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