Welcome to AccessAtlanta!

Most elective abortions take place between 8 and 12 weeks of gestation. The procedure consists of dilating the cervix and removing the contents of the uterus by suctioning the inner walls of the uterus.

Pregnancies prior to 7 weeks of gestation may be safely terminated using a combination of medications. A surgical procedure may therefore be avoided.

Prognosis

Legally performed abortions are relatively safe. Complications rarely occur. A first trimester legal abortion is physically safer for a woman than actually giving birth.

Complications

Excessive loss of blood, uterine perforation and infection, and an incomplete abortion are the most frequent complications. These complications are rare when the procedure is performed legally by a competent provider in an adequate facility. Teenagers may not be aware that they are pregnant until the second trimester and could increase the danger to their own lives with second-trimester abortions. Infection resulting from the procedure occurs most commonly in women who have a preexisting gonorrheal or chlamydial infection.

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if an unplanned pregnancy occurs and information is desired about the choice of elective abortion.

Call your health care provider if an elective/therapeutic abortion has been performed and vaginal bleeding continues beyond what was predicted or if you continue to have symptoms of pregnancy or any severe pain. (Excessive bleeding can cause shock and continued pain or pregnancy symptoms may indicate a possible ectopic or tubal pregnancy.)

Call your health care provider if signs of infection develop, including persistent fever, foul odor to vaginal drainage, vaginal drainage that looks like pus, or abdominal pain or tenderness.

Ency. home > Disease > A > Abortion - elective or therapeutic

[an error occurred while processing this directive]