To abort a pregnancy, two types of pregnancy termination procedures are available to females:
- Medical Abortion (also known as non-surgical abortion or medication abortion)
- Surgical Abortion
In determining what type of pregnancy termination to opt, access and availability of abortive services along with stages of pregnancy play into the choice. Majority of females facing an unplanned pregnancy purchase abortion pills for a pregnancy termination do so early on; just over 61% occur in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, and 88% take place in the first trimester (within 10th week of pregnancy). Only 10% of pregnancy terminations take place in the second trimester (between the 10th and 20th weeks of pregnancy).
The jeopardy of complications from Pregnancy Termination is very minute. A fraction of a percent of abortion patients has complications, which required hospitalization- less than 0.3%
Medical Abortion:
As the name suggests, medication pregnancy terminations do not engage surgery or other invasive techniques but rely on medicines to end pregnancy.
A medication pregnancy termination engages taking the abortion pill kit. A female seeking a medication pregnancy termination can acquire one through a professional’s clinic or from an online pharmacy to have a self-induced abortion at home.
Mifepristone & Misoprostol is prescribed in the first trimester and is FDA-approved for use up to 70days (10weeks) after a female’s last period.
Even though considered off label, some provider may choose to use it up to 70days (10weeks) after the first day of a female’s last menstruation, even though its efficiency is reduced after 10weeks.
Surgical Abortion:
All surgical abortions are medication process that should be done in a doctor’s clinic. There are quite a few different surgical abortion options. The method used is often determined as per how far along a female is in her pregnancy, mostly for pregnancy that is more than 10 weeks. Abortion pills do not work for women with more than 10weeks; hence they need to end their unwanted pregnancy with this process.
Aspiration is an abortive process, which can be performed on a female up to 16 weeks after her last menstruation. Aspiration, also known as vacuum aspiration, D&A (dilation and aspiration), suction aspiration, includes the placing of the tube during the dilated cervix into the uterus. Gentle suction eliminates of fetal tissue and empties the uterus.
In certain situations, curette (spoon-shaped instrument) is used to scrape the uterine lining to eliminate any residual tissue. Such process is called a dilation and curettage (D&C).
Dilation and evacuation (D&E) is normally carried out during the second trimester (between the 10th and 24th week of pregnancy). Alike to a D&C, a D&E involves other instrument (like forceps) along with suction to empty the uterus. In later second-trimester pregnancy termination, an injection administered through the abdomen may be essential to make sure fetal demise before the dilation & evacuation starts.