| Therapeutic abortion | 385.000000000000 | Therapeutic abortion | Therapeutic abortion | T | English | Pregnancy | Adult (19+) | Body | Reproductive system | NA | Prenatal
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2009-09-11T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 11.1000000000000 | 45.8000000000000 | 933.000000000000 | | Flat Content | Health A-Z | <p>Learn about therapeutic abortion, which is used to end a pregnancy when either the mother's life is in danger, or the baby has severe birth defects.</p> | <p>Therapeutic abortions can be done to end a pregnancy when the mother’s life is in danger or if the baby has abnormalities involving the major organ systems and is not expected to survive after birth. However, most abortions are done as a personal choice not to be pregnant. The decision to have a therapeutic abortion for medical reasons should be made by the pregnant woman in collaboration with her obstetrician, a specialist in the disease in question, a geneticist, and a neonatologist. Considerations such as how far along the pregnancy is and how effective treatment would be are very important to the decision-making process. </p> | | <h2>Key points</h2>
<ul><li>The decision to have a therapeutic abortion should be made by the pregnant woman in collaboration with her obstetrician, a specialist in the disease in question, a geneticist, and a neonatologist.<br></li>
<li>Side effects of an abortion include abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.</li>
<li>Complications are not common but do occur, including heavy bleeding, infection and allergic reaction to drugs.</li>
<li>Seek support and talk to your doctor about how you are feeling emotionally and physically.</li></ul> | <h2>Types of abortion</h2><p>Different methods can be used to perform a therapeutic abortion. Abortions are either chemical or surgical in nature.</p><h3>Chemical abortion</h3><p>Chemical abortions are also called medical abortions, and they make up about 10% of all abortions in North America and Europe. Chemical abortions are done in the first trimester of pregnancy. There are different ways to do a chemical abortion. A drug called
<a href="/Article?contentid=348&language=English">misoprostol</a> may be given, along with another drug called
<a href="/Article?contentid=185&language=English">methotrexate</a>. Sometimes only misoprostol is given, without methotrexate. Sometimes both drugs are given, along with a third drug called mifepristone.</p><p>If you have a chemical abortion, you will have bleeding for a few days after the abortion has begun. Some chemical abortions are not done successfully and require follow-up with a surgical abortion. </p><h3>Surgical abortion</h3><p>There are a number of different types of surgical abortion, which are used at different times throughout the pregnancy.</p><ul><li>Suction aspiration or vacuum abortion are the most common methods, and can be done in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Manual vacuum aspiration involves removing the fetus by suction using a manual syringe. Electric vacuum aspiration uses suction from an electric pump to remove the fetus. </li><li>Dilatation and evacuation can be used from weeks 15 to 18, and involves opening the cervix and emptying it using suction and surgical instruments. </li><li>Dilatation and curettage (D&C) involves emptying the uterus using an instrument called a curette. </li><li>In later pregnancy, other more risky and controversial procedures must be used to perform a surgical abortion. </li></ul><p>If you need to have a surgical abortion, you will be given an anaesthetic to numb the area. You may feel some cramping during and after a surgical abortion, similar to menstrual pain. When you go home, you may have some bleeding and small clots. Your menstrual period should resume in four weeks. Watch for signs of a problem, such as heavy bleeding, pain, fever, or signs of a continuing pregnancy. </p><h2>Risks of abortion</h2><p>When deciding whether to have an abortion, it is important to consider the risks of the procedure. Abortion is a life-changing event with emotional and physical consequences. Many women who struggle after having an abortion say that they wish they had been told all the facts about abortion and its risks. </p><p>Apart from the usual side effects of abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, most abortions occur without serious physical complications. However, sometimes complications do happen, and these can include the following: </p><ul><li>Heavy bleeding: While some bleeding is normal, some women may experience heavy bleeding called hemorrhaging, especially if the abortion ruptures one of the arteries in the uterus. Sometimes a blood transfusion is required. </li><li>Infection: Sometimes the abortion does not completely remove all the contents of the uterus, and some tissue remains inside. If this happens, bacteria can get inside the uterus and cause an infection. Fever is a common symptom of infection. </li><li>Allergic reaction to drugs: A few women may experience an allergic reaction to the drugs used for anaesthesia during the abortion. </li><li>Other problems: There is a very small risk of tearing of the cervix and scarring of the uterus. If the pregnancy is quite advanced, there is a higher risk of tearing of the uterus, in which case a hysterectomy may be required. </li></ul><p>Abortion is also associated with a higher risk of complications such as placenta previa in future pregnancies.</p><h2>After the abortion</h2><p>If you have a therapeutic abortion, you and your partner will experience similar grieving patterns as someone who has had a miscarriage or had a stillbirth. The loss of a baby is the most difficult experience you will ever have, no matter what the circumstances were. </p><p>Other people around you, however, may not see things the same way you do. They may have ambivalent feelings about your abortion, or they may not understand what you are going through. Your friends and family may find it difficult to support you during this time, because of their own opinions and feelings. </p><p>You may feel an immense amount of guilt and regret, and you may need to work through these feelings with the help of counselling. Many women who have had a therapeutic abortion require psychiatric treatment for months after the procedure has been done. Take things one step at a time and make use of all the resources that are available to you. </p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Therapeutic abortion | | False | | | | | | | | |
