Have you ever watched a commercial for a new drug and heard all the risks listed at the end?
Every medication and medical procedure has its own list of side effects and risks you deserve to know about ahead of time.
This includes abortion. No matter what type you choose, there will be some risks involved.
What Are the Risks of a Medical Abortion?
A medical abortion requires two drugs, usually taken hours or days apart. Mifepristone, the first drug, blocks progesterone to end a pregnancy. Then, misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy through abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding.
Under some conditions, you should not have a medical abortion.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Having a pregnancy over nine weeks gestation (how long you have been pregnant)
- Having an IUD currently in place
- When the pregnancy is growing outside the uterus (an ectopic pregnancy)
- Using blood thinners or certain steroids
- Having an allergy to the drugs used
For these reasons, knowing how far along you are and if your pregnancy is progressing in the uterus is vital. Assurance Care can provide you with a no-cost pregnancy test and ultrasound so that you can be sure.
With a medical abortion, here are some of the most common risks:
- Incomplete abortion, which may require a surgical procedure
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Fever
- Infection
- Discomfort of the digestive system.
What Are the Risks of a Surgical Abortion?
A dilation and curettage (D&C) abortion is one type of surgical abortion. In a D&C, the cervix is opened through a form of dilation, and a licensed physician removes the contents of the uterus through a mix of surgical tools and suction.
The risks of a D&C surgical abortion include:
- Perforation of the uterus
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
Risks of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
If you have an STI, especially chlamydia or gonorrhea, at the time of an abortion, you risk another type of infection. Both of these common conditions typically reside around the cervix.
During an abortion, the medical instruments can carry these infections deeper into the reproductive system. If not treated, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can develop.
PID is especially dangerous because it often has mild symptoms or none at all. Over time, PID can cause infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and other complications.
Assurance Care can provide you with STI testing at no cost. Along with our pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, we can supply the medical services you need.
Contact us today!