The choice to have or not to have a child is personal, and thanks to advances in medicine, women now have an option to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
Millions of women all over the globe choose to terminate their pregnancy by an abortion. Sometimes a foetus stops developing and the body expels it by way of a miscarriage, but very often women make the conscious choice to end a pregnancy.
Most common reasons abortions take place
- She doesn't want any more children.
- She doesn't want anyone to know she is pregnant.
- The couple cannot afford a baby.
- She doesn't want to be a single parent.
- She is too young to have a child.
- She is being coerced by her husband, partner or parent.
- She or the foetus has a health problem.
- She was a rape or incest victim.
Once a woman has opted to have an abortion, she has the choice to go in for a surgical abortion or a medical abortion.
Surgical Abortion
This is safest and cheapest when performed in the first trimester, from six to twelve weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period. Surgical
abortion is almost 100% effective.
Manual vacuum aspiration (Takes 10 minutes)
The uterus is emptied with a manual operated gentle suction. It is often used for very early surgical abortion, up to ten weeks after conception.
Dilation and suction curettage (Takes 10 minutes)
The uterus is emptied with machine-operated suction, after which its walls are cleaned with a narrow metal loop. This method is used six to 14 weeks after your last period.
Dilation and evacuation or D&E (Takes 20 minutes)
This is performed between 14 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. An abortion is only performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy for serious health reasons. In this procedure the cervix is opened, then suction and curettage (cleaning the uterus walls) is performed.
If you are extremely overweight, have certain sexually transmitted infections or a uterus infection, are running a fever or have certain serious health problems, you may need special arrangements.
Abortion Pill
