There are two main types of abortion: medical (also known as the “abortion pill”) and surgical, and each ends your pregnancy in a different way.
Medical Abortion
Medical abortion involves taking two different, powerful drugs that work together to terminate and expel your pregnancy from your uterus.
Mifepristone is the first drug, and it’s responsible for ending your pregnancy. It works by blocking progesterone, an essential hormone needed to sustain the nutrient-rich lining of the uterus. Without progesterone, the uterine lining, which sustains the pregnancy, loosens and sheds, causing the pregnancy to terminate in the process.
Misoprostol is taken next, and it causes the uterus to contract and expel the terminated pregnancy from the uterus and through the vagina.
Risks of Medical Abortion
The abortion drugs come with risks to your health. One of the biggest risks is incomplete abortion, which is when parts of the terminated pregnancy remain in your uterus. This can lead to a potentially life-threatening infection.
You’re more likely to experience a medical abortion risk if you take the drugs despite being ineligible for any of the following reasons:
- Your pregnancy is further than 10 weeks gestation (these drugs are only FDA-approved if your pregnancy is 10 weeks of under).
- Have an intrauterine device (IUD) currently in place.
- Have a suspected ectopic pregnancy.
- Have certain medical conditions, including bleeding disorders; certain heart or blood vessel diseases; severe liver, kidney or lung disease; or an uncontrolled seizure disorder.
- Take a blood thinner or certain steroid medicines.
- Can’t make follow-up visits to your provider or don’t have access to emergency care.
- Have an allergy to the medicine used.
Surgical Abortion
Surgical abortion terminates your pregnancy through the use of medical instruments. During surgical abortion, your cervix is dilated so that scraping tools and strong suction can enter your uterus to end your pregnancy.
Risks of Surgical Abortion
The main risks of surgical abortion include:
- Uterine perforation (this happens when the medical instruments poke a hole in your uterus)
- Uterine scarring
- Cervical damage
- Infection
It’s critical to know that uterine scarring can lead to future infertility and painful periods.
How Can I Protect My Health?
Before seeking an abortion, learning key details about your pregnancy via ultrasound is an essential step for protecting your health.
At Vie Medical Clinic, we offer free, limited ultrasounds and other pregnancy resources because we believe that you deserve to have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Give us a call at (620) 235-0605 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential appointment with one of our medical providers.
