Are you considering a medical abortion? The reasons for making such a tough decision are highly personal. Some women undergo such a procedure after coping with an early miscarriage, while others terminate an unplanned pregnancy. In some cases, being pregnant is a life-threatening condition in women who have certain medical problems. Thus, it is highly recommended to consult an expert doctor such as Dr. Mehmet Bekir Şen with whose guidelines and treatment, you can take care of yourself better.
Regardless of the reason, this process is overwhelming and frightening for most females. Therefore, choosing the abortion pill seems to be a more convenient solution than undergoing surgery. This option, however, is only considered safe during the first trimester.
Make sure to choose the best abortion clinic in Charlotte to experience as little stress as possible.
Here is everything you need to know about the treatment.
What is it?
Medical abortion is a term that stands for the procedure of using medications to terminate a pregnancy. It can be performed in a clinic or at home, but the former option is preferable. This procedure involves two types of pills, mifepristone and misoprostol. The combination of these medications is believed to boost the effectiveness of the procedure and reduces the side effects that result from it.
These medications can be obtained through clinics and doctors providing abortion services. It’s paramount not to purchase them online or, even worse, on the black market. Medical abortion is considered effective and safe in the course of the first trimester of pregnancy. Hence, women who are less than ten weeks pregnant are eligible for it. After ten weeks of being pregnant, the safest way to terminate a pregnancy is with a surgical procedure.
Nevertheless, there are women with certain medical conditions who aren’t eligible to use the abortion pill. These include females with genetic conditions, ectopic pregnancy, liver problems, heart conditions, serious adrenal gland problems, bleeding disorders, molar pregnancy, etc.
How does it work?
As already mentioned, women are supposed to take both mifepristone, and misoprostol for the medical abortion to be effective, as both pills work in correlation to provide the desired outcome. Mifepristone is the first medication to take orally. Its job is to block progesterone, which is responsible for maintaining pregnancy. By blocking progesterone, it causes the uterus lining to break down. Learn more about the biological function of progesterone.
The second medication, misoprostol, is taken 24-48 hours following the first pill. It contains the prostaglandin hormone that occurs naturally within the human body. The job of this hormone is to cause the uterus to contract, which is necessary for the uterus lining and embryo to be expelled.
If conducting the procedure in an abortion clinic, you’ll be administered a mifepristone tablet during your first visit and asked to go back to the clinic 24-48 hours later. During your second visit, the doctor will discuss the symptoms you experienced following the first appointment. If there are no complications, you can continue with the treatment by taking the second tablet.
What happens after the procedure?
Following the procedure, women are likely to experience cramping and bleeding for two to four weeks. It’s also possible to experience fever within the first 24 hours and back pain. The doctor will schedule a follow-up appointment to perform a pregnancy test and check the healing process. He/ She will inspect the size of your uterus and look for signs of infection.
You’ll be previously advised to avoid using tampons and having sexual intercourse for two weeks to minimize the infection risk. In case the doctor suspects the procedure hasn’t been entirely completed, he/she will request an ultrasound or a surgical abortion. Apart from physical symptoms, women tend to experience a variety of emotions after the treatment, including loss, sadness, guilt, and relief. This URL, https://www.healthline.com/health/post-abortion-syndrome, elaborates on the post-abortion syndrome.
Recovery and side effects
Females who undergo such treatment experience a series of side effects during the recovery process. Besides cramping and bleeding, they tend to pass blood clots and experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, headaches, and hot flashes. The abortion takes place anywhere between several hours and a few days following the second pill. The possibility of getting pregnant immediately after the procedure is high.
Possible risks and complications
Although medical abortions are generally considered safe, there’s still a possibility of experiencing complications. These include a failed or incomplete procedure where the fetus remains inside the womb, leading to severe infections, blood clots remaining in the uterus, heavy bleeding, etc. There are certain emergency symptoms to be aware of, such as fever, excessive bleeding, severe pain, vaginal discharge with a strong smell, and passing clots whose size is bigger than a lemon.
Pros and cons
Medical abortion comes with its pros and cons. The advantages of choosing the pill option over the surgical one usually refer to not using anesthesia, being less invasive, feeling more natural, being less expensive, etc. Additionally, this procedure can be performed very early in the course of pregnancy, as soon as the woman finds out about it.
On the negative side, these treatments aren’t entirely effective. In the event of a failed treatment, women have no other alternative but to terminate their pregnancy surgically. Cramping and bleeding might last longer compared to undergoing surgery. Females are also required to pay more than a single visit to the doctor.
The bottom line
Look for the best clinic prior to scheduling the procedure.
You’ll need all the support and assistance you can get!
