If you have made the difficult decision to have an abortion it is important to understand the potential risks associated with the various procedures that are available to you. How far along you are in your pregnancy will determine what kind of operation you might require, and each operation carries with it a different set of potential abortion complications. A misoprostol abortion, also known as abortion by pill, is available only during the early stages of pregnancy. If however, the pregnancy is in a more advanced stage, then some type of physical operation will most likely be required.
The misoprostol abortion pill is an option for women who have been pregnant for four weeks or less. If you are unsure of how long you have been pregnant, you will certainly want to consult with a healthcare professional to make sure that you can safely take the misoprostol abortion pills to abort pregnancy. The pills are relatively inexpensive compared to other pills, yet they are just as effective, with a 100% termination rate in patients who have been pregnant for four and a half weeks or less. The abortion pill should not be confused with the morning after pill.
If you have been pregnant for longer than nine weeks, then abortion by pill will longer be an option, and you will want to consider other alternatives. Early surgical abortion, first trimester abortion by vacuum aspiration, second trimester abortion by dilation and evacuation, and second and third trimester abortion by induction are all procedures that can be performed, depending on how far along in your pregnancy you are. The abortion risk and long term complications should be understood, however. There are also additional psychological impacts and complications that may occur, depending on how prepared you are for the abortion.
The medical risks associated with abortion by vacuum aspiration and dilation and evacuation include blood clots in the uterus, heavy bleeding, lacerated or torn cervix, perforation of the wall of the uterus, pelvic infection, incomplete abortion, and anesthesia-related complications. If you are further along in your pregnancy and elect to have an abortion by labor induction, you could experience infection and excessive bleeding, as well as the symptoms of vacuum aspiration and dilation and evacuation. With labor induction, there is also a slim chance that the fetus could still be alive once aborted, which carries obvious psychological risks.
The psychological risks of an abortion could potentially be the most long lasting, as the memory of the experience may always stay with you, while the fetal matter itself will be long gone. As always make sure that you are making the right choice. There are other emotional reactions that you may experience as a result of the abortion, and these are things you should discuss at length with your doctor. By talking with a counselor or a physician both before and after pregnancy, you can ensure the best peace of mind possible during the entire procedure.