Abortion is a major medical procedure that terminates an existing pregnancy. No matter what type of abortion you go about, there are physical risks, including risks like infection or even incomplete abortion (requiring another procedure). Keep reading to learn the facts.

Types of Abortion Procedures & the Risks

Medical Abortion

Medical abortion, also called the abortion pill,  includes two different abortion drugs that work to terminate a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol.

The FDA only recommends medical abortion for women through 10 weeks of pregnancy. If you go past that timeframe, the risks are much higher.

Some of the common physical risks of medical abortion include:

  • The body not releasing all pregnancy tissue in the uterus, also called an incomplete abortion. This may require surgical abortion.
  • An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work.
  • Heavy and prolonged bleeding.
  • Infection.
  • Fever.
  • Digestive symptoms such as upset stomach.

Surgical Abortion

The two most common types of surgical abortion are dilation & evacuation (D&E) and dilation & curettage (D&C). Both procedures dilate the cervix and use vacuum aspiration and surgical tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.

Some of the common physical risks of surgical abortion include:

  • Damage to the uterus or cervix.
  • Uterine perforation (accidentally putting a hole in the uterus with one of the instruments used).
  • Excessive bleeding.
  • Infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes.
  • Scarring of the inside of the uterus.
  • Reaction to the drugs or anesthesia, such as problems breathing.
  • Not removing all of the tissue, requiring another procedure.

Determine Your Pregnancy Details

Confirm your pregnancy details to determine where your pregnancy stands and what options you have, including abortion. Confirming this pregnancy information is vital to safeguarding your health and alerting you to any potential complications.

Our non-judgmental and caring team at Hope Family Services can help you get the clarity you need to take your next steps.

Schedule a no-cost appointment today to talk and learn more.

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.