Like any major medical procedure, there are potential risks to your physical health. If you’re considering abortion, you will want to know what the possible risks are and what to expect. Common risks of abortion include infection and heavy, prolonged bleeding.
The Two Types of Abortion
- Medical abortion: Also known as “the abortion pill,” a medical abortion consists of a series of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first and blocks the hormone progesterone. It prevents your uterus from sustaining a pregnancy. Next, misoprostol is used to cause the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy.
- Surgical abortion: Surgical abortion is a surgical procedure that terminates an existing pregnancy by removing the pregnancy contents from the uterus. Dilation & Evacuation (D&E) and Dilation & Curettage (D&C) are the two most common types of surgical abortion. They each work to dilate the cervix and surgical tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.
The Physical Risks of Abortion
Medical Abortion Risks
A medical abortion has risks like abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding. Other common risks
include the following:
- 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.
Be sure to understand these physical risks to your health before making up your mind about abortion. You deserve the facts.
Surgical Abortion Risks
A surgical abortion is more invasive than a medical abortion. Common risks of a surgical abortion include the following:
- Uterine perforation (when one of the medical instruments pokes a hole in your uterus)
- Uterine scarring (which can cause future infertility and painful periods)
- Infection
- Cervical damage
Know Your Pregnancy Details
Safeguard your health with pregnancy confirmation. Our medical team is here to offer free/low-cost pregnancy services and more to you today. We offer lab-quality pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and more insight into all your pregnancy options.
Schedule a no-cost and confidential appointment today. You are not alone.
