Terminating a Pregnancy: Three Different Procedures

Abortion is a serious sexual health concern that requires a lot of discussion. Terminating a pregnancy can have a major impact on your emotional wellness, and so it’s important to be as well-informed as you can before you make the final decision to have an abortion. With that in mind, let’s look at the different types of abortion, and how you might expect your wellbeing to be affected.

 

According to the Sinclair Intimacy Institute, ‘The clinical definition of the term “abortion” is the termination of a pregnancy, and it is an extremely common event that can occur naturally in a woman’s body before she even realises she is pregnant. Induced abortion, however, is the term to describe intentional abortion procedures. There are several different types of abortion procedures, including non-professional abortion procedures that the pregnant woman or some sother unlicensed professional attempts in order to end the pregnancy. Medical abortion can be done using established medical procedures by a trained medical practitioner, by the use of hormone combinations, or by taking a drug called RU-486.’

 

There are three types of medical abortion:

 

1. The Cannula: This is by far the most common abortion procedure. The Sinclair Intimacy Institute explain that this ‘involves insertion of a cannula through a woman’s cervix and removing the foetus and placenta using vacuum aspiration. This procedure generally is used in the first trimester (i.e., the first three months after conception) and accounts for about 90% of all medical abortions. In this procedure, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes and can be performed in a physician’s office, the woman lies on an examining table with her feet in stirrups. A local anaesthetic is administered to numb the woman’s cervix. In some cases, a general anaesthetic may be used to induce sleep, but this is usually not necessary…To insure that the abortion is complete, the physician may insert a spoon-like instrument, called a curette, and checks the walls of the uterus.’

 

2. Cannula and Forceps: About 10% of abortions are performed after the 12th week of pregnancy, which is where this procedure comes in. It’s quite similar to the procedure described above, but includes the use of forceps. This is because, after the 12^th week, the foetus is larger and more firmly attached to the uterine wall, and so needs more than suction in order to be removed. The Sinclair Intimacy Institute notes, ‘The procedure takes up to 30 minutes and may involve the administration of pain medication to the woman.’

 

3. Chemically Induced Abortion: This occurs past the twenty-second week of development, and involves chemically inducing labour so that the foetus is expelled through your vaginal opening. The Sinclair Intimacy Institute details, ‘This procedure is generally performed in a hospital. A needle is inserted through the abdominal wall into the uterus and a labour-inducing medication (such as prostaglandin, urea, or saline solution or some combination of these) is injected. Within a few hours, the woman begins labour and the foetus is expelled.’

 

However, regardless of the method you choose, you should make sure that you are checked for blood pressure and heart rate. Women who have undergone an abortion should also be monitored to insure that bleeding and discomfort are limited. After your abortion, your doctor may arrange one or more follow-up appointments for several weeks later to ensure that the procedure has been successful and that you are healthy and coping well. The Sinclair Intimacy Institute adds, ‘In abortions performed before the 13th week of pregnancy, some follow-up surgery, for example, to remove a blood clot or to repair a tear in the cervix, is needed in only 0.5% of cases.’

Categories: 12th week, abortion, abortion procedures, chemically induced, induced abortion, intimacy institute, medical abortion, procedure, procedures, sinclair intimacy, woman

Unwanted Pregnancy? Find Out the Options Available to You

More often than not, pregnancy is presented as this wonderful time in which you’re glowing and excited for motherhood. For many women, this happens to be the case. However, finding out that you are pregnant may give rise to very different feelings for different people. You may be happy and excited about it, or scared and uncertain as to what to do. The important thing to remember is that all of these feelings are normal. The decisions you now have to make take an understandable toll on your emotional wellness. If you are pregnant, you have four choices to consider. You can keep the pregnancy and have the baby – which we’ll visit a bit more later on – you can keep the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption, you can keep the pregnancy and give the baby into foster care or you can have an abortion.

 

With regards to this latter option, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. By the time they are 45 years old, one in three women in the UK will have an abortion. If it’s not possible for you to have the baby, you can contact your GP or sexual health clinic. All of your treatment will be completely free and confidential, even if you are under 16. While it’s legal to have an abortion at any time before you reach week 24 of your pregnancy, it’s far better for your wellbeing if you contact the services as early as possible, as this means you’ll have more options. If you do decide to have an abortion, you may need to attend more than one appointment at the clinic, although, in most cases, the abortion itself will be carried out as a day procedure. An initial appointment will give you the opportunity to talk through the procedure and your choices. The procedure may then be carried out on a different day.

 

Depending on how far along you are, you will have either a medical or a surgical abortion. Early on in a pregnancy – up to nine weeks – you can have a medical abortion in which you take two sets of pills over two visits (24 or 48 hours apart). You take the tablets orally on your first visit, and then internally on your second visit, and this causes the pregnancy to pass out of your body. With this kind of abortion, it’s common to experience discomfort, very strong cramps and heavy bleeding, which normally lasts for approximately three to five hours until the pregnancy has passed. However, it’s more common to have a surgical abortion, in which gentle suction is used to empty the uterus. The procedure, which only lasts for five to 10 minutes, can be done under either local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic. Regardless of the method of abortion you use, it’s vital that you talk to someone at the clinic about your contraceptive choices afterwards. Most types of contraception can be started immediately after you have had the procedure.

 

However, if you decide to continue your pregnancy, you need to look after your wellbeing – and your baby’s – as soon as possible. This means you need to visit your GP as soon as possible to begin your antenatal care (which is a term used for care leading up to the birth of the baby). Your doctor will arrange all the scans and midwife appointments you need, as well as giving you plenty of information about how to care for yourself and your growing baby during pregnancy. This will include avoiding drugs and alcohol, avoiding smoking and cigarette smoking, healthy eating, regular exercise and taking folic acid during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

Categories: abortion, antenatal care, Baby, care, pregnancy, procedure, surgical abortion

Abortion: What Does The Procedure Involve?

Unplanned pregnancies are common and occur far more than people realise – at least half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and one in five women will choose to have an abortion. This is not an easy decision to make and can be an emotionally distressing time, but it is a personal choice which is influenced by a number of factors, from the woman’s age to her ability to raise a child, or simply the fact that the pregnancy was not a planned one. Ultimately, no-one can help you reach the decision to opt for an abortion – there are counsellors or doctors who can talk through your options with you though, as well as your friends and family who will be able to support you through this time. More than 90 percent of abortions are carried out before 13 weeks of the pregnancy term, whilst over 98 percent are carried out before 20 weeks. After 24 weeks, if there are exceptional circumstances, an abortion can still be carried out - these include any significant risk to the mother, or if the child were to be born with a serious disability.

 

Your GP can refer you for an abortion – if you’re referred through the NHS, this procedure will be free. As with all medical procedures, your abortion will be confidential, even if you’re under 16. You also don’t have to tell your partner, as they have no legal rights where abortion is concerned. Depending on where you live, your referral time will vary but you shouldn’t have to wait more than two weeks from the time of your referral to your abortion date. If you need to have an abortion for medical reasons, then this will be sooner. Depending on the stage of your pregnancy, you will either be given medication to incur a miscarriage or you will have to have surgery to remove the foetus. Your GP or nurse will discuss this process with you – whichever form of abortion you have, you will experience some discomfort or period-like pain. This is completely normal, and it will depend on what stage you’re at in the pregnancy as to how uncomfortable it will be. It is perfectly safe though.

 

Complications at the time of abortion are very rare, and less likely to occur the earlier on the abortion is carried out. For example, excessive bleeding or haemorrhage occurs in around one in every 1,000 abortions, though this increases to four in every 1,000 in abortions carried out after 20 weeks. Additionally, damage to the cervix occurs in less than 10 in every 1,000 surgical abortions. As with any procedure, there are risks attached but your GP or nurse can go through these with you at your consultation.

 

Socially, there is some stigma attached to abortion – this varies depending on where you go and the religious and moral beliefs of the people there. Some places are more accepting of this being a personal choice than others, but this is entirely dependent on where you live. This is still a taboo subject and is difficult to talk about openly. Many women feel judged or pressured by the opinions of others where this subject is concerned, as well as feeling criticised for being sexually active and getting pregnant. Furthermore, they feel self-critical if they decide to have an abortion, feeling as thought they’ve failed in some way – it is considered a no-win situation, and there is no way of alleviating this. It comes down to personal choice and what is right for you at the time.

Categories: abortion, carried, pregnancy, social, time, weeks

Does Your RA Drug Affect Your Chances of Having an Abortion?

If you’re on medications to treat your rheumatoid arthritis, the drug you take may affect your likelihood to have an abortion. This is according to a new study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, which found that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) taking methotrexate (MTX) – which is a commonly used drug to treat inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease – had lower induced abortion rates compared to women with RA not taking the medication.

However, the researchers from the Montreal General Hospital of the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) in Canada also found that women who took anti-TNF drugs like Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade to improve their joint wellness had higher abortion rates than women not exposed to the drugs. Using Quebec’s physician billing hospitalization databases from 1996 to 2008, the team, led by Dr Évelyne Vinet, evaluated the induced abortion rates in women with RA exposed to MTX. These women were all between the ages of 15 and 45, and MTX exposure was defined as filling a prescription for the drug less than 16 weeks prior to the date of abortion.

Of the 5967 women who had an abortion, the researchers identified 112 RA patients and the rest were controls. The investigators discovered that almost 11% of those women whose wellbeing had been affected with RA were exposed to MTX, as were 22% of the controls. In a journal release, Vinet commented, ‘Our study shows that women with RA who were on MTX had lower rates of induced abortions, while those exposed to anti-TNF medications had potentially higher abortion rates.’

She added, ‘These findings highlight the importance of research on reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies in women with RA taking MTX or TNF inhibitors. Further examination of counselling practices and contraceptive use is warranted to further reduce the need for abortions in women with RA.’ Vinet explained, ‘Women with RA who become pregnant may have disease-specific reasons which might influence their decision to end a pregnancy. Exposure to teratogenic drugs, such as MTX, which can affect the development of the foetus, is one such reason women with RA may choose an induced abortion.’

Does Your RA Drug Affect Your Chances of Having an Abortion?

Categories: abortion, abortion rates, anti tnf, higher abortion, induced abortion, Rates, Research, Rheumatoid Arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Women