Medical Abortion

The Procedure, its Drawbacks and its Benefits

Jan 3, 2008 Catherine Owen

Medical abortion is a viable option for women under seven weeks pregnant. Learn about the procedure, its drawbacks and benefits.

The majority of women who seek an abortion are only told about the surgical procedure. With a surgical abortion, one must wait until one is at least 8 weeks pregnant. There are also greater risks to a woman's health. If one is under seven weeks pregnant, a medical abortion can be a better option for faster, safer termination.

The Procedure

A medical abortion can be performed if one is over eighteen years of age and under 7 weeks or 49 days pregnant. In the United States, it is up to 63 days as they use a different mode of medication. In Canada, the drug combination is Methotrexate and Misoprostol. The woman visits the doctor or clinic three times. The first time, one receives a general checkup, blood tests and an ultrasound. If the fetus is under 7 weeks, the woman is scheduled for a second visit the following day. On this visit, one is given the Methotrexate by injection. This is a drug that treats cancer and also arrests fetal growth. At home one then takes the Misoprostol in pill form. This drug causes uterine cramps that expel the fetus over a period of a few hours to several days. The third visit will be a week later. The woman has another ultrasound to ensure that no fetal tissue remains. At this time, one can discuss any side effects with the doctor as well as future birth control options.

The Drawbacks

In Canada, surgical abortion is covered by the medical plan. However, medical abortion is not as of yet. Thus, the three visits can cost between 250-400$. It is also more difficult to find a doctor or clinic who will perform the procedure, though the option is increasing in its availability. Side effects may include: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and heavy bleeding. Women should take several days off work. Sexual abstinence is required for 2-5 weeks afterwards.

The Benefits

Much of the stress of obtaining an abortion is often caused by the long waiting period many women must endure prior to the surgery. With a medical abortion, one doesn't have to wait to undergo the procedure. The abortion process itself takes longer, but within days of discovering the pregnancy, the termination will have been completed. There are also few side effects over the short term and no long term consequences for a woman's sexual health. According to Planned Parenthood, “97 percent” of women who had medical abortions would recommend them as a termination option.

Disclaimer: This article is based on research and experience. Always consult a doctor first before making any medical decision.

The copyright of the article Medical Abortion in Women’s Health is owned by Catherine Owen. Permission to republish Medical Abortion in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

abortion: a woman's choice

Comments

May 19, 2008 6:19 PM

katiesmommy :

I'm a Pro-Life Christian, and I believe that abortion is murder. If a woman thinks she isn't ready to have a baby, she should have thought of that before having sex. Also, there are plenty of couples around who can't have any children of their own but would love to adopt someone else's baby. Sadly, there aren't enough babies available for adoption because most of these babies are aborted rather than adopted. Did you know that nearly 50 million unborn children so far have died as a result of abortion since Roe v Wade? And did you also know that "fetus" means "little person" in Latin? Abortion is also an act of natural selection. Think about it: The founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, I believe was her name, was a racist who wanted to rid America of anyone who was poor and black, so Planned Parenthood was founded to encourage poor black women to have abortions and prevent them from having babies. Abortion can be compared to slavery and the Jewish holocaust, too, because, just like unborn children, African slaves and all of the Jewish men, women, and children who were slaughtered in the holocaust were not granted their personhood status, therefore no one believed it was wrong to kill, mistreat, or force them into slavery. And here is another interesting fact for you to consider: One of the women (sorry, I wish I could remember her name) in the Roe v Wade case eventually regretted her part in legalizing abortion and became a Pro-Life Christian. She also regretted having an abortion. I've browsed the Internet and found stories of many women who have regretted having an abortion, and some of these women experience infertility problems later when they are ready to have a baby. Interestingly enough, however, the abortion industry deceives women into believing that abortion is safer than childbirth, and it and the medical establishment both continue to deny that women regret their abortions and develop serious medical problems later. I'm not here to make you change your mind or anything, nor am I bashing you for your Pro-Choice beliefs. You can be Pro-Choice if you want to. I won't stop you. All I wanted to do was help you wake up and think about what you are choosing to support, that's all. Good luck, and I hope I wasn't too mean-spirited in writing you this Comment.

Jun 27, 2008 9:34 AM

Brenda Lane :

I find it interesting that Ms Owen states that there are no long term consequences to a woman's sexual health after an abortion. Here is a link to a 31 page paper on Long Term Consequences of Abortion including an increased risk of suicide, depression, emotional distress, substance abuse, and deliberate self-harm.

Other risks in the mother's long-term reproductive health include infertility, low birth weight, preterm birth, some risk of subsequent ectopic pregnancy, and definite increased risk of placenta previa.

Authors of this well-researched meta-analysis recommend that women would be "better served by having pre-existing knowledge about the scope and nature of potential risks."

http://www.ncrtl.org/images/concept/evidencereview.pdf

Ms. Owen does women no benefit in this article by skirting past the serious long-term complications, both physical and emotional, to mothers following an abortion.

And I personally agree with the previous commenter. All of this research further demonstrates that going against the created order of God in terminating a life will only cause us to suffer very serious consequences, likely for the rest of our lives. I have seen it first- hand in the women I have counseled. The pain and loss of this decision does not ever completely go away.

Even if Ms. Owen disagrees with the premise of who is the owner of that life, she should take a second look at her article and include not only the facts of the procedure itself but the long term complications that indeed result from having an abortion.

2 Comments