How Will Abortion Affect Me Physically?
If you are pregnant and considering abortion, it’s important to understand the impact an abortion can have on your body.
While the side effects experienced after an abortion can vary from woman to woman, there are several known complications and risks that you will want to be aware of in order to protect your health.
Types of Abortion
To better understand the impact an abortion will have on you, it’s helpful first to understand the different abortion procedures.
Medical Abortion
Medical abortion involves using a series of drugs to terminate your pregnancy. These drugs first stop the growth of your pregnancy and then expel the pregnancy from your body.
It is also important to know that the FDA has only approved medical abortion for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Surgical Abortion
As the title suggests, surgical abortion is an invasive surgical procedure that typically includes the use of local anesthesia to minimize any discomfort you may feel.
During the surgical procedure, your cervix is dilated, and the doctor will insert surgical tools into your uterus to remove the pregnancy and any associated tissue.
What Happens After an Abortion?
The side effects experienced after an abortion can vary, but commonly reported side effects include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal cramping
- Vaginal bleeding
- Headache
- Diarrhea
These side effects can range from mild to severe, depending on how your body responds to an abortion and the type of procedure you had.
Some side effects, though, can be indicators that you are dealing with more serious complications after an abortion.
Symptoms of post-abortive complications can include:
- Fever
- Cramps lasting more than 48 hours
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Lasting dizziness or lightheadedness
- Bleeding that is heavy enough that pads need to be changed every hour for more than two hours
- Pain that worsens instead of improving
If you experience any of the above symptoms after your abortion or suspect that something is wrong, it is very important that you seek medical attention right away to protect your health.
How Can I Learn More?
If you are considering an abortion, it’s important to learn all you can about your pregnancy and know all your options.
Hope Clinic for Women is here for you. Our trained medical staff can provide free tests, including an ultrasound scan, to help you learn all the details of your pregnancy. They’ll also walk you through all the details of your pregnancy, discuss your options, and answer all your questions.
Deciding how to handle an unplanned pregnancy is an important decision that can have a big impact on your health and future, but you don’t have to make it alone.
Contact us today to schedule your free and confidential appointment and start getting the answers you need to make the best decision for you.