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Ask Emma! Answers-Abortion | |
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Any health information contained in this service is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing contained should be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have an urgent medical problem call 911 or contact your health care provider. Making the abortion appointment
How much does an abortion
cost? Questions about the abortion procedures
Are there ways of stopping a pregnancy besides
having an abortion? Possible complications from an abortion READ THIS if you suspect you are having an abortion complication
It's
been 10 weeks since my abortion, and I haven't gotten a period. What's
going on? How to take care of yourself after an abortion
Is it
necessary to go back for the check-up after a non-surgical abortion? Abortion and Birth Control
What's
the difference between the abortion pill and the morning after pill?
Making the Abortion Appointment "How much does an abortion cost?"
Of course, every clinic will have different pricing. At the Emma Goldman
Clinic we have a sliding scale for abortion fees (and gynecology too).
It depends on the length of the pregnancy (which is determined by the
first day of your last menstrual period, so make sure you have that info
when you call), your annual household income, and your access to
insurance and Medicaid/Title XIX. To determine what fee you would have
coming in, call the clinic and they can go over all this with you. The
phone number at the Emma Goldman Clinic is 319-337-2111 or toll-free at
1800-848-7684.
"Where can I go to get
an abortion at low cost or on payments?" To our knowledge no clinic, or at least none within driving distance of anywhere in Iowa accepts payment plans. The Emma Goldman Clinic keeps our prices comparable with everyone else around. The big advice I have is to call around to clinics now. Even if you know you won't have the money for several more weeks, they can give you ideas on when you have to come in by, and what prices you need to work towards. Keep in mind that the price goes up the further that the pregnancy progresses. If you have insurance you can also find out if they can help you. The majority of major insurance companies cover abortion. You can call the customer service number on your insurance card to ask how much they cover and if you would have to pay your deductible. You may need to know which clinic you are going to use to find this out, since insurance companies often don't cover all clinics. Emma Goldman Clinic is a preferred provider with Blue Cross/Wellmark.
Make sure you start calling clinics right away if you want to go ahead
with the abortion. They give you everything you need to know. Best of
luck.
"Does insurance cover abortions?" Most insurance
policies do cover abortion, but it completely depends in your individual
policy. Just call the customer service phone number on your insurance
card and they will be able to tell you.
"What is the longest a person can wait before getting an abortion?" That depends on where you live. In the United States, each state is allowed to make their own rules regarding abortion. There are a lot of states where you have to be less than 12 weeks from the first day of your last normal period (LMP, all weeks are based on the LMP, not when you got pregnant). Other states go up to 20 weeks, 22 weeks, 24 weeks, or even later. Generally, abortion procedures after 24 weeks are only done if there are severe problems with the pregnancy or severe risks to the mother's life or health. Here in Iowa, abortion providers are allowed to perform abortions up until 20 weeks from the woman's last period. The Emma Goldman Clinic is the only clinic that performs elective abortions to that upper limit. It is MUCH better to get in before you get anywhere near those upper limits. Ideally, you want to get in to see your provider (regardless of your state's laws) before you reach 12 weeks from your last period. Even if you live where you have access to a clinic that will see you after that point, abortions past 12 weeks get incredibly expensive. Besides the cost of the procedure itself, you often have to spend 2 days (3 days if you are past 20 weeks) at the clinic, so you have to find somewhere to stay overnight. While the post-12 week procedures are still safe, they do have higher risks than the procedure before you are 12 weeks from your last period.
Even if you don't think you will be able to get the abortion until
later, you should still contact facilities as soon as you know that you
are pregnant, if you want an abortion. While talking on the phone, you
will be able to find out your state's laws, the cost of the procedure,
and the dates you would have to be seen by. Some clinics are able to
help you find financial assistance to put together the cost of the
abortion. Try visiting the National Abortion Federation's website at
www.prochoice.org. That
website will help you find the clinics nearest you, as well as letting
you know the restrictions on abortion in your state. You can also visit
the website of the National Network of Abortion Funds,
www.nnaf.org. Their website
will help you find abortion funds (organizations that help women put
together the cost of an abortion procedure) in your area.
What's the earliest you can be and have an abortion? That depends on a few different things. The first is the specific clinic and the specific doctor that you see. Sometimes different doctors within the same clinic will have different rules on how far along women have to be. For some doctors, it also depends on whether you are having the surgical or non-surgical abortion. (The following describes policies and practices of the Emma Goldman Clinic. This does not necessarily reflect the policies and practices of other clinics or offices.) Here at the Emma Goldman Clinic, we will see women for the non-surgical abortion between the time they are 4 weeks from their last menstrual period, and up until they are 9 weeks from their last menstrual period. For the surgical
procedure, we will see women between the time that they are at least 4
weeks from their last menstrual period up until they are 20 weeks from
their last period. The most common time to have an abortion is between 6
and 12 weeks from a last period. We require that every woman making an
appointment has taken a positive pregnancy test.
That would depend on the doctor, the
severity of your herpes outbreak, and its location. Sometimes doctors
may be hesitant to perform the procedure, since it's possible to move
the infection from the outside of your vagina to the inside. If any of
our clients here has an active sexually transmitted infection we
recommend that, if it's at all possible, they get that treated before
having the abortion to prevent moving the infection into your uterus.
You should call the office where you will be having your abortion to see
what their preference is.
Every clinic could have its own policies, but here at the Emma Goldman
Clinic, we accept home pregnancy tests. As long as a woman has taken a
pregnancy test which was positive, she can schedule an appointment. It
doesn't matter what kind of pregnancy test she used, or where she bought
it, as long as she has taken one. Women do not have to get a second test
to confirm the pregnancy unless they want to. Home pregnancy tests are
very accurate, so we accept them. Again, other clinics may have other
policies.
"Can I get an abortion in
Iowa without telling
my parents?" Iowa is one of the states that requires that women under 18 go through a parental notification process before getting an abortion. If you're over the age of 18, then you don't have to tell anyone that you don't want to. If you're from a state other than Iowa, and would like to know what the laws are in your state, click here. This is the website for the National Abortion Federation's (NAF) website about their hotline (the number is 1800-772-9100). If you call that phone number they will give you information about abortion, referrals to local clinics, information about your state's laws, and lots of other helpful information. "Parental notification" (at least in Iowa) means that you need to tell one parent that you are having an abortion. The law says that you don't need their consent (permission), you just have to notify them. There are three ways that you can comply with this law. The first is that you bring a parent with you to get your abortion. The second is you can have the clinic you will be using send a letter to either a parent or a grandparent. This has to be mailed out a minimum of 48 hours before your appointment, so if you are thinking of using this option, please plan so you will have enough time for the letter to be sent. The other option is to get what is called a judicial bypass. This is where you go before a judge, tell them that you are mature enough to make this decision on your own, and then they can decide that you don't have to tell a parent. In any case, you should call the clinic and they will give you details about these processes. If you would like to come here to the Emma Goldman Clinic (we're here in Iowa City), just call us at 319-337-2111 or toll-free at 1800-848-7684.
If you are sure that you want to have an abortion, you should start
making these calls and getting this information as soon as you can, so
then you have the most time to work through this process and you have
the most options open to you. If you aren't sure about what to do about
the pregnancy, or if you need to talk to someone, you can come into the
clinic during our walk-in hours. Those hours are Monday through Saturday
from 10am-1pm, and Thursday evenings from 5-8pm. During those times you
can talk with one of our staff members, and they can give you
information whether you are thinking of abortion or continuing the
pregnancy. Another good resource is
www.pregnancyoptions.info.
They have really good information about pregnancy options. There's also
www.yourbackline.org. They
have a toll-free phone number you can call to talk to someone about your
pregnancy options. Both of these organizations are non-judgmental and
value all the possible options (abortion, adoption, parenting) equally.
"I don't know where
to go. I'm 15 and want an abortion." A great reference for anyone in the United States for finding abortion providers is the website of the National Abortion Federation (NAF). The NAF website is a good resource for anyone living in the United States. When you go to their site, click on the link at the top menu "Are you pregnant?". Then you will be given a list of options, click on "How can I find a provider near me?" On that page you get to choose which state you are from, and they will give you a list of providers in each state. (I checked, the Illinois page had several clinics listed in Chicago.) The National Abortion Federation also has a toll-free number where you can find out information about abortions, local clinics, local laws on abortion including laws regarding women under the age of 18, and they can give some emotional support, and sometimes they can give you info about places that can help you get money together. This number is 1800-772-9100, and it's also listed on their website. You can also look in your local yellow pages. Clinics should be listed under the "Abortion Providers" heading. Watch out, some yellow pages around the country sometimes have anti-choice organizations listed, often in "Abortion Alternatives" headings, but sometimes it's hard to tell who is who.
It's important that you start contacting clinics right away if you want
to have an abortion. They will give you information about the
procedures, and they can also give you estimates on when you have to
have the procedure done by. Even if you don't think you'll have enough
money for a while, it's a good idea to talk to clinics early so you know
when you have to get in.
"What is the minimal time accepted
between first and second abortions?" You can have a second abortion
after 1-3 weeks at our clinic - this may be different in your area or
among different clinics.
“I had
unprotected sex the day before my abortion.
Could I be pregnant?”
It is very unlikely that unprotected intercourse before an abortion
could result in pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your body produces
hormones that prevent ovulation (releasing an egg).
Questions about the Abortion Procedure Ok. Let’s start with one thing at a time. “I think I’m
pregnant.” “What are early
pregnancy symptoms?” “I don’t want
anyone to find out.” “Can I do
something to end the pregnancy without going to get an abortion?” If you are sure that you do not want to continue the pregnancy, then you should talk to an abortion provider or your health care provider right away. The further along you are before you end the pregnancy, then you will have fewer options, it becomes more expensive, and there are more risks for complications. It is very important that you go to a trained health care professional to end the pregnancy, and don't try to end it on your own at home or have a non-medical person do it for you. Doing it yourself, or having it done outside of a health care facility is very dangerous and can be deadly. Before abortion was legalized in 1973 with Roe v. Wade, as many as 5,000 women died annually from trying to do illegal, unsafe abortions. A really good place to go for information and referrals to abortion providers in your area is the website of the National Abortion Federation, www.prochoice.org. They have a very good website with a lot of good, factual information, and they also operate a hotline that you can call to get information and support. If you aren't sure what to do about the pregnancy, then another good website is www.yourbackline.org. They operate another hotline that you can call to get non-judgmental, non-biased (meaning they value abortion, parenting, and adoption equally), pregnancy options counseling. Another good one is www.pregnancyoptions.info. They have an online workbook that women have found very helpful for deciding what to do about an unplanned pregnancy. You can also call abortion providers in your area. They can give you information about the procedure, or refer you to local people that can do pregnancy options counseling or they may provide that service at their clinic. And if you're not
pregnant, or even if you are - this is obviously a situation that can
cause great anxiety. If you are worried about unprotected sex in the
future, you should talk to your health care provider about birth control
options and remember that
emergency
contraception
can be used up to 5 days after unprotected sex to help prevent
pregnancy. No. Birth control helps
prevent a pregnancy, it cannot be used to stop an already
existing pregnancy. If unprotected sex was 5 days or less ago, you can go to a
family planning clinic or call a pharmacy to see about getting emergency
contraception. But again,
EC as your second chance at birth control also
can only help prevent a pregnancy, not stop one. For an accurate result,
take a pregnancy test 10 days after unprotected sex and use the first
urination of the day if possible. If you find out you are pregnant, you
can stop taking the pills while you decide what you want to do. You can
also contact your health care provider. Clinics that provide abortion
often can give you accurate information on pregnancy options and how to
receive a safe and legal abortion.
How to schedule (The following info only applies to the way abortions are performed here, at the Emma Goldman Clinic. Different clinics may have different procedures and protocols.) Your time at the
Emma Goldman Clinic We do not use sedation here at the Emma Goldman Clinic. The procedure, most often, takes less than 5 minutes, and the sedation makes you feel "out of it" for several hours. The use of sedation also increases the complication rates. Since we do not use sedation, women are safe to drive themselves home, even if they live long distances away. Non-surgical
procedure I
hope this helps you out. If you have more questions about abortion
procedures, or about the Emma Goldman Clinic please call us at
319-337-2111 or toll-free at 1800-848-7684.
D&C is a name for a procedure which is identical to the surgical abortion procedure. RU-486 was the name given to one of the medications used in the non-surgical abortion procedure when it was going through clinical trials. Now it is known by the drug name Mifiprex, or as the non-surgical abortion. When performed by a trained and experienced medical professional either abortion procedure is pretty much equally safe and effective. Whether you have the surgical or the non-surgical procedure done, the abortion will have no affect on your ability to become pregnant in the future. Women are fully able to become pregnant and carry pregnancies to term with no increase in complications. Abortions are the most common surgical procedure done annually in the United States, and generally it has a very low rate of complication.
I'm pretty sure that you will be too far along to have the non-surgical
procedure as an option when your doctor makes this decision. The
non-surgical procedure has to be done by the time you are 9 weeks from
your last menstrual period at the latest. If you're 8 weeks since you
became pregnant now, that means you are now 10 weeks from your last
period, and in 2 more weeks you will be 12 weeks from your last period.
(Even if you meant that you were 8 weeks from your last period, in 2
weeks you will still be too far along to do the non-surgical procedure.)
The surgical procedure is very safe and won't cause you to have any
fertility problems in the future.
"After an abortion will the stomach hurt or have bruises?"
There is no bruising after an abortion procedure (at least one done by a
trained, medical professional in a clean environment with sterile
instruments).
Click here to read about how the different
abortion procedures work here at our clinic. For a
surgical abortion procedure the doctor will use your body's natural
openings of the vagina and the cervix (the opening of the uterus) to
remove the pregnancy, so there's no cuts or stitches either. After the
procedure it is common to have cramps that sometimes can last up to
three weeks after the procedure, but they're most often similar to
period cramps. If you have more questions about abortion procedures, you
should contact the clinic that you will most likely be seen at, since
different doctors and clinics can differ slightly in their technique
(it's pretty much the same everywhere though).
"Could I pass
off an abortion as a miscarriage and the procedure they do for that?" Theoretically, your doctor should not be able to tell the difference between an abortion and a miscarriage (referred to in medical circles as a "spontaneous abortion"). One of the big reasons is that if you have a miscarriage your doctor/physician/the ER you go to will most likely recommend that you have a D&C (dilation and curettage) which is a medical procedure almost identical to the surgical abortion procedure. A D&C is performed to make sure that there is no retained tissue in the uterus which can cause serious problems down the road. Since the procedure is so similar, so are the instructions you would receive to take care of yourself afterwards. The problem that could arise is that if you get the abortion, and then just tell your doctor that you had a miscarriage, he may insist that you have a D&C. If you tell him that you had a D&C elsewhere, he may ask to see your medical records from that event. You can always decline to have those records sent, but he may figure that something is up. I know that it may be expensive to go to somewhere other than the military for your medical care, but you need to be seen by people you can trust with your life. Since ANY health care matter affects your life as a whole, this applies to EVERY aspect of your medical care. Along with all of that, whether you can pass of an abortion as a miscarriage also depends on who you are trying to pass it off to. I covered health care providers above, but your boyfriend/husband/partner, family, and friends may be a different story. It depends on how much time you spend with these people, and how much they would know about your medical care/history. Depending on your partner's or friend's experience, they may also say you need a D&C after a miscarriage, and be suspicious if you don't get one. If you are trying to disguise this from someone you live with, if they have known someone who had a miscarriage in the past, they may notice that the medical involvement with the abortion was different from the person they knew.
We definitely understand that many women do not feel comfortable telling
people around them that they had an abortion, but if at all possible you
should try to find at least one person around you that you can talk to
if you need support. Especially the first few days after the abortion
(or miscarriage), while all the pregnancy hormones are rushing out of
your body, your emotions can swing widely. It is important to have
people near you, that can be supportive of you and your decision, that
can be there for you.
"How and where are the aborted fetuses disposed?"
We dispose of the products of conception (POC, the scientific name for
what is removed from the uterus, which includes the fetus as well as the
placenta and uterine lining) from first trimester procedures in ways
that comply with local, state, and national laws. The POC from second
trimester procedures is treated as biohazardous waste, and is picked up
by a company licensed to do this. This company then disposes of the POC
as outlined in state and national regulations.
Different hormones leave the body at different rates. Within a few days
after the procedure, most of the hormones have dropped down to a level
to where women start to feel "normal" again, but they're not completely
down to their pre-pregnant levels. The hormone, human chorionic
gondotropin (hCG), which is the hormone that pregnancy tests look for
takes quite a while to completely leave the body. Pregnancy tests can be
positive up to 8 weeks after the procedure. This is why you shouldn't
take a drugstore pregnancy test soon after the procedure. It will be
positive, and it'll just make you worry unnecessarily. At your
post-abortion check-up (2-3 weeks after the procedure) your physician
will use a low-sensitivity test, which should be negative at that point. Women can sometimes have false-positive pregnancy tests for 8-12 weeks after an abortion. This is because it sometimes takes that long for the hormones to completely normalize. Also, home pregnancy tests are very strong, so even a little bit of hormone left in your body can cause a positive test.
For you, it's kind of a toss up whether
your positive test is caused by a new pregnancy, or by the abortion. You
should go see your doctor or health care provider. They will be able to
do more definitive testing, or do an exam to tell if you are currently
pregnant and how far along you are. If you didn't get to go in for a 3
week check-up after your abortion, you can do that now. Once you have taken the first
pill, you have to continue with the rest of the process because the
first pills are designed to end the pregnancy. The second pills are
designed to remove the pregnancy. Not taking the second pills will put
you at serious risk for infection or other health problems. If it has
been over 48 hours since you took the first pill(s), you should contact
your doctor immediately.
Questions about Possible Abortion Complications READ THIS if you suspect that you are having an abortion complication: If you suspect that you are having an abortion complication, you need to call the clinic or person that performed your abortion right away. Don't email anyone. It can take time to respond to an email. You need to speak with someone live, either in person or over the phone. Call the clinic that performed your abortion with any questions you have about symptoms you are experiencing after the abortion.
The first thing that I need to comment on here, is that a home pregnancy test is NOT the same as an exam with a medical professional. Not at all. A home pregnancy test will not tell you if you have an infection or any other complication from the abortion. It is vital that all women who have an abortion get a check-up 2-3 weeks after the procedure. Most home pregnancy tests are very strong and will still give you a positive result up to 8 weeks after the abortion. In your case, it's possible that your hormones dropped faster than most women's do, but at 3 weeks from the abortion, most women's tests would still be positive. If you don't start hormones after an abortion it takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks to have a period. Since you are well past the 8 week mark, it is a really good idea that you go see your doctor or health care provider. Another note is that it is possible to become pregnant even immediately after an abortion. Since you have been having unprotected sex while not on any hormonal birth control, then a new pregnancy is a definite possibility.
You should really go see your doctor or
health care provider to get checked out.
-Anonymous, Sydney NSW
Having one ovary doesn’t necessarily affect your fertility—usually the other ovary just does the work of two ovaries. First of all, did you have a check up exam after your abortion, and was everything normal? Also, sometimes starting birth control can throw off your cycle for 2-3 months. If your check up exam was normal and you haven’t started birth control, you should probably check with your doctor to make sure there is nothing else going on. Also, if you have had intercourse since your abortion, there is the possibility that you got pregnant again—no birth control method is 100% effective, except for total abstinence. -Emma
Well, every woman, and every pregnancy, is completely individual, so it's hard for us to tell any woman exactly what she will experience. We tell our clients that it is common to have cramps up to 3 weeks after the abortion. For many women, the cramping lasts less than that, others don't have much cramps at all, and others have cramping for that whole time.
Do keep an eye on your cramps, and all
symptoms. If the cramps are very strong, you should check in with the
clinic that performed your abortion. They should have given you a list
of "not normal" things to look out for, and make sure you report to them
if you have any "not normal" symptoms?
The diabetes will not be a problem with an abortion. Our policy here
(again, other clinics may vary) is we have diabetic women bring all
their medications/equipment with them for their abortion. This is so we
can know what medications they use, and so they can have it with them
just in case. Take all your medications like you normally would both
before and after the procedure.
Always take medications exactly how your physician told you to take them. If this is a situation where you lost some of the medications, or they fell down the sink or something, call up the clinic or office where you were seen to ask about getting some more. Every clinic or office have different practices. I don't know what medication you were given, or why they gave it to you, so I don't know what will happen if you don't take them. Call up the clinic or office where you had your abortion, and they will be able to give you more specific information.
Modern abortions done in the office setting are very safe procedures. As
long as you follow the instructions given to you afterwards, which
usually includes taking all medications you were given, abstaining from
intercourse, staying away from certain medications and other activities,
and generally taking it easy for a couple days, women are just fine.
Also make sure you go have your check-up afterwards. Generally women
have no future fertility problems after having an abortion.
Complications associated with abortions are generally rare. According to
the
National Abortion Federation,
nationwide 97% of abortion clients have no complications and those
complications are most often minor. To help insure that you do not have
complications you need to follow the instructions you were given, and
make sure you get a check-up exam.
"Is it possible to
still be pregnant after abortion?" After a pregnancy ends, whether by abortion, miscarriage, or birth, it can take several weeks for your hormones to completely go back to normal. This is why you can still have a positive pregnancy test for up to 6 weeks or more after the pregnancy is over. It is even more likely that the test will be positive if you take one of the tests that you buy in the drugstore. Those are very sensitive, and the slightest amount of hormone in your system will make it be positive. One of the possible complications from an abortion procedure is that the procedure could fail. If that happened, then yes, the woman could still be pregnant after the procedure. This is most common in very early procedures, done before the woman is less than 6 weeks from her last period, because when the pregnancy is that early, everything is so small that it can be hard to see. Even though failed procedures are more common at that stage of pregnancy, it is still a very safe procedure, and most women have no problems.
This is why it is so important to have a check-up exam after an
abortion, no matter what stage of pregnancy you were at when you had the
abortion. This usually happens 2-3 weeks after the procedure, but you
can still have it if you are further out than that, like 4 weeks. If the
whole pregnancy was left in your uterus you could have a continuing
pregnancy. If only parts of the pregnancy was left behind, most commonly
parts of the placenta, that could cause serious problems like an
infection. At your check-up your physician will run a special kind of
pregnancy test that will only turn positive if there's something wrong.
Abortions performed by medical professionals using sterile instruments, are very safe procedures. But ANY procedure whether it's a tonsillectomy, appendectomy, or an abortion does have some risk of complication. One of the risks of complication with an abortion is a failed or incomplete procedure. This means that when the doctor performed the procedure, they didn't remove the entire pregnancy from your uterus. Failed/incomplete procedures are most common for women who were very early in their pregnancy at the time of the procedure (less than 6 weeks from their last period, which would be about 4 weeks since they became pregnant). When this happens, most often it is not a complete pregnancy left in the uterus, for instance just a piece of the placenta. It is important that the doctor do a repeat procedure whenever anything is left in the uterus, because even just a piece of the pregnancy, if left in the uterus, can cause an infection. Nationwide, the average rate of complication for a first-trimester abortion is around 5-8%, and that includes other possibilities besides a failed procedure. Not all of those possibilities would require you to have another procedure. This possibility is one of the reasons that it's so important to get a post-abortion check-up exam. Sometimes there won't be any symptoms that your abortion failed, and you need this check-up to make sure that everything went OK. These exams should happen about 3 weeks after a surgical abortion procedure, or 2 weeks after a non-surgical abortion.
This is just a theory of what happened in your instance, but this is the
most common need for a repeat procedure. I recommend that you call/visit
the clinic where you had these procedures done and ask what happened.
You have a right to your medical records, and so you have the right to
know what happened and why. I can't tell when you had your procedure
from when you wrote, but still make sure that you go in for a check-up
exam. If you return to the clinic where you had the abortion, they can
tell you what exactly happened at the time of the check-up.
Bleeding can be due to many reasons, including the
shot. Rather than me going into all the possibilities,
though, it's best to contact someone who has your medical information to
get a comprehensive answer.
How to take care of yourself after an abortion
"If I have a [non-surgical] abortion, is it necessary to go back for a
check-up?" YES!!!!! Whether you have a surgical or non-surgical (of if your clinic calls the non-surgical abortion a "medical" abortion) it is vitally important that you get a check-up exam. At the check-up exam your health care provider will check the size of your uterus to make sure that the abortion was complete. Nationwide there's approximately a 3-5% risk that the non-surgical abortion will fail. While the odds are in your favor that everything went correctly, it is extremely important that you get an exam to verify this. At your check-up exam, they are also checking for signs of infection or other complications, and that your hormones went back to normal. Even if you feel fine, or don't think that anything is wrong, it is still important that you get the check-up, since post-abortion problems don't always have symptoms. If the abortion did fail, or if you had another abortion-related complication, and you don't get it taken care of, it can cause potentially life-threatening situations. For non-surgical abortions, you are supposed to get your check-up 2 weeks after the abortion. (For surgical abortions, it's 3 weeks.) Please try to get in as close to that time frame as you can.
We recommend to our clients that they do not insert anything into their vagina after the abortion until after their three-week check-up. This is to prevent an infection. Having an orgasm doesn't do anything bad to you. However, if your masturbation involves inserting anything into the vagina, then you should stop doing that until after your check-up exam. If you can masturbate without inserting anything into the vagina, by stimulating the clitoris for instance, that is OK. Whether or not you insert anything in your vagina, it's very important that you go and get a check-up exam 2-3 weeks after your abortion. At that check-up your health care provider will make sure that you don't have any symptoms of an infection or any other complications. If you were to develop a complication, as long as it is taken care of promptly, the risk of permanent harm to your uterus (womb) is very low.
Again, don't worry about orgasms
themselves, they won't do anything to you. It's just how you get the
orgasms that can cause problems.
"When should I get a check-up after an abortion?" A check-up exam is vitally important after an abortion. The purpose of the exam is to make sure that everything went all right, and that you don't have any signs of an infection or a failed procedure. For non-surgical procedures it is required that you return to the clinic that performed the abortion 2 weeks after the procedure for the check-up. For women that have the surgical procedure they can go to just about any gynecologist for the exam (You don't have to return to the abortion clinic if you don't wish.) and you should get that exam 3 weeks from the time of the abortion.
We recommend no strenuous exercising or lifting over 25 pounds for 2-5
days after any abortion procedure (surgical or non-surgical). The reason
we recommend this, is that strenuous exercising or heavy lifting can
increase your blood flow, and thus cause heavier bleeding. As long as
you're not getting your blood pumping too much you should be fine. As
long as you're not lifting more than 25 pounds it's ok.
We generally recommend to our clients that they do not immerse themselves in water for 2-3 weeks (2 weeks for a non-surgical abortion, and 3 weeks for a surgical) after their procedure. This is because of the concern that there could be bacteria in the water that could make their way into your vagina and thus uterus and cause an infection. We also recommend no tampons (or anything in the vagina at all) for the same amount of time, and since pads don't work underwater, that pretty well eliminates water activities as well. (Inserting anything in your vagina, including, but not limited to tampons, greatly increases your risk of infection.) We understand that some people don't have showers in their homes, just bathtubs, so they don't have the option of taking a shower instead of the bath. Ideally, women shouldn't sit in water after their procedure, but it can be difficult for some women to arrange that. It may be a good idea for people without a shower to clean themselves by sponge bathing.
Make sure that you go in for your post-procedure check-up to make sure
you're OK, and make sure you're watching for symptoms of infection. The
clinic you were seen at should have given you a list of symptoms to
watch for, and if they didn't, you need to call them and get that list.
For the rest of the time in between now and your check-up just try to do
non-bath ways to relieve cramps. Heating pads and hot water bottles work
great, and it also helps a lot to massage your abdomen. You can also
take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (the generic
name for Tylenol) and ibuprofen (the generic name for Advil and Motrin).
The only pain killer that you don't want to take is aspirin (or anything
containing aspirin), because that will increase your bleeding.
"Are you allowed to drink alcohol after an abortion?"
We recommend to our clients that they avoid alcohol and other drugs
following their procedure because being under the influence can decrease
a woman's awareness of complication symptoms. Also, excessive alcohol
consumption can thin the blood, and thus increase the woman's risk for
heavy bleeding after the procedure. If you have further questions about
when you can resume your regular activities, you should contact the
clinic or doctor that performed your abortion. If you like, you can
click here to read the
guidelines that we give all of our abortion clients on how to take care
of themselves after their abortion.
The guidelines that we give our clients are that you shouldn't do any
strenuous exercising or lifting over 25 pounds for 2-5 days after the
abortion. Since you are going bowling 6 days out you should be fine.
Since you are going to be moving around, it's possible that your
bleeding could increase. So, you should probably have a few extra pads
with you. Be careful if you drink any alcohol, because that will thin
your blood and could cause you to bleed more. Otherwise, have fun!
First, it is very important to get a post-abortion check-up. No matter how well you took care of yourself afterwards, it is vital to check-in with a physician to make sure the procedure went as it was supposed to. We do not recommend having sex, protected or not, until at least 3 weeks after a surgical abortion. This is because your cervix (the opening to your uterus) takes a while to close back down after the procedure. If you insert anything into your vagina which includes, but is not limited to tampons, douching, a penis, or fingers, you can push bacteria into your uterus and cause an infection. If you have been inserting things into your vagina, it is even more important to check-in with your physician to make sure that you have not developed an infection. A
woman can ovulate at any time after her abortion, and so it is possible
to become pregnant right away afterwards. If you have been having
unprotected sex, then this is a likely outcome. The home pregnancy tests
available here in the United States (I'm not sure what is on the market
in Nigeria.) are very sensitive, and can be positive up to 6-8 weeks
after the abortion, whether the woman is pregnant or not. To have a
definitive answer to whether or not you are still pregnant, or have
developed a new pregnancy, you need to visit your physician. They will
have a less sensitive test they can perform that will be able to tell
you whether or not you are pregnant. If you have a new pregnancy, your
options will be to give birth, or to have another abortion. You should
talk this over with your partner, and other trusted family members or
friends to decide what you should do. I just had my abortion 2 weeks ago (non-surgical) how long should we wait before having sex? -asiagirl, Yonkers, NY
We recommend that you wait at least 2 weeks before having intercourse. If you started birth control, remember to use a back up method like a condom if you are having bleeding in between your periods. -Emma What's more likely is that you are still having post-abortion bleeding. Sometimes post-abortion bleeding stops and starts, and that's completely normal. Women who start hormonal birth control after their abortion usually will have a period 4 weeks after the abortion. Women who don't start hormonal birth control may not have a period for 6-8 weeks.
Even though you took all your medications
and you don't think you had any complications, it's still really
important to go in for your 3 week check-up. There are some
complications that don't have symptoms you notice right away, but they
can be very serious if left untreated.
Women can go through a whole range of emotions following an abortion. These emotions could be positive or negative and can be influenced by such things as how confident a woman felt about making her decision, her relationship with the man involved, access to support/lack of support from others before/after the abortion (ie family, friends, church, etc). There have been studies done and most women experience relief and/or resolution when they had an abortion feeling confident about that decision. A few women do have extreme feelings of sadness and depression that require additional counseling. We try to follow up with clients and do surveys to help us get input about how women have felt about their decisions, however, we have not conducted an actual study. I don't know if you already sought professional help. Good for you if you did; if you didn’t, I’d encourage you to seek out resources if you are still struggling with your emotions. You can call us at 319.337.2111 or 1800-848-7684 for local resources and phone numbers and any other questions you may have. Some suggested sites for more info: The
Workbook by Peg Johnston- there is an exploring your feelings afterward
section Sometimes it's helpful to hear what
other women say who have faced this decision. Some women find this book helpful:
Peace after Abortion. This is an article from The Guttmacher
Institue which references other studies that have been done regarding
abortion & depression, including the Surgeon General's Study (Koop) that
was ordered by then anti choice president Reagan to prove abortion
caused depression. Koop, who was also anti choice, was unable to confirm
that conclusion. For the more technical info regarding depression & abortion- just to give you a heads up if you start searching- there is a lot of negative information put out there by the anti-choice movement. An excellent toll-free hotline for
people to talk with someone neutral about their experience with abortion
(for women who have abortions, their partners, friends and family). Hope this helps.
Questions about Abortion and Birth Control "What's the difference between the morning after pill and the abortion pill?" The "morning after pill" is also known by the name Emergency Contraception (EC). EC is a series of pills a woman takes as soon as possible, but up to 5 days, after unprotected sex, and it is very effective at preventing her from becoming pregnant. It won't end an established pregnancy; it is not an abortion. Right now EC is only available by prescription. Click here to learn more about EC.
The abortion pill, also known as RU-486, medical abortion, non-surgical
abortion, or by the brand name Mifeprex is a medication that women can
take after they are pregnant to end the pregnancy. It can't be taken
unless the woman has a positive pregnancy test and she is confirmed to
be pregnant, and less than 9 weeks from her last period. Mifeprex has to
be given by a doctor.
Click here to learn more about Mifeprex and non-surgical abortions.
(Other clinics may have slightly different policies.) When our clients
want to start the pill, the patch, or the ring after their abortion, we
tell them to start taking it the Sunday after their procedure, whether
they chose the surgical or the non-surgical abortion. People who start
Depo following the procedure usually get their first injection at the
clinic on the day of their procedure. You shouldn't have any sex for 2-3
weeks (depending on surgical vs. non-surgical) following your procedure,
so if Sunday is a few days after the procedure it's not a big deal. If
you have questions about birth control after an abortion, you should ask
the people working at the clinic where you have your abortion.
This is a question that is causing some controversy (and confusion) nationwide, mostly because it depends on each individual's definition of conception, abortion, contraception, and when life begins. The first issue is to try to define some of these notions. In a previous post, I discussed the different definitions of conception and when pregnancy begins. Click here to read the full post, but the gist of it is that most medical definitions say that pregnancy begins when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. The reason it doesn't begin when the sperm meets the egg, is because many of these fertilized eggs don't implant in the uterus even when women aren't on any hormonal birth control. As many as 50% of fertilized eggs leave the body without implanting. It becomes really overcomplicated to say that each of these eggs was a pregnancy, when the woman involved will most likely not miss her period or have any way of knowing that she was ever "pregnant". Hormonal birth control (pill, patch, ring, shot), if taken correctly, are meant to prevent a woman from ovulating. Thus, in most circumstances, there should be no eggs to fertilize, and this isn't an issue. One of the other things that the pill does is cause the uterine lining to be thinner, so that in the case that an egg is released and is fertilized, it is less likely to implant in the uterus. Again though, up to 50% of fertilized eggs don't implant, even when women aren't on hormonal birth control. Also, a lot of fertilized eggs implant anyway, since many women do become pregnant even when they were taking hormonal birth control.
But, back to what I said in that first paragraph, everyone has their own
definitions of all these terms, and no matter what, anything relating to
pregnancy is going to be controversial. To answer your question, we
don't consider hormonal birth control abortive, but there are some
people who do. The best thing is to just do your own research, and make
decisions regarding what birth control you would like to use for
yourself.
"Can a tubal ligation be done
immediately after an abortion?" Generally, a physician will wait
at least 6 weeks before performing a tubal ligation procedure, however,
it is up to each individual physician. There is also another
sterilization procedure called Essure that women can also consider- and
it would still be up to each individual doctor as to how long s/he would
wait to perform the procedure after an abortion.
“Can I be pregnant if I had
sex three days after having an abortion? Can I still use emergency
contraception?” First things first. It is important not to place anything inside your vagina for at least two weeks after an abortion. Doing so may put you at risk for a uterine infection, as your body has not yet had a chance to completely heal from the procedure. If you have any questions about your aftercare and how to prevent complications like infection, do contact the provider who performed your abortion. Secondly, while it is not likely that your body has regained its ability to conceive, there is a small chance that you may have ovulated. If you ovulated, then yes, you can get pregnant if you had unprotected sex.
Lastly- emergency contraception pills are a second chance at birth
control if you had unprotected sex and you can read more about it
here. Since you are not in the U.S., I don’t know what emergency
contraception methods are available to you and I would recommend you
speak to the provider that performed your abortion for advice. In
general, emergency contraception pills can help prevent a pregnancy if a
woman is not already pregnant and takes the pills within 5 days of
unprotected sex. EC is not as effective as choosing a
birth control method
that you can use accurately and consistently.
History of Abortion
"How were
abortions done a long time ago?" |
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