What Are The Various Methods of Abortion?

In the United States, abortion is a safe and legal way to end a pregnancy. Safe abortion is performed by trained professionals using safe, effective methods in sterile conditions. In most cases, you will have a choice between medical or surgical abortion procedures.

Some of the Methods of Abortion are the following:

1) Menstrual Extraction:

Some consider this method a termination of pregnancy when it actually is not. There is no pregnancy test performed to diagnose if a woman is pregnant.

Thousands of Menstrual Extraction Clinics are set up around the world to perform these procedures in countries where abortion is illegal. Without confirmation of pregnancy menstrual extraction allows a woman’s menses return to normal.

It is not uncommon that an instrumental Surgical Dilation and Curettage is performed to determine if there is uterine pathology responsible for a woman not having her menses.

Women who have missed their menses from 3 to 8 weeks around the world undergo a surgical (Dilation and Curettage) or medical pill evacuation (Cytotec/Misoprostol) of the uterine lining in order to return their menses to normal.

The surgical procedure is commonly performed with a handheld manual suction device along with an attached sterile curette. It is gently inserted through the cervix and the tissue inside the uterus is removed by a manual or electrical suction device.

When a Menstrual Extraction is performed, the tissue is not examined or sent to pathology.

Cytotec may be taken orally (by mouth), buccally (between cheek and gum), sublingually (under the tongue) or vaginally to cause uterine contractions and passage of the tissue in the uterine cavity.

The contraction, cramps and bleeding is similar to a heavy menses. Most women do not need medication to control the pain or discomfort. Approximately 40% of women take Tylenol, Motrin or Advil to control their discomfort. A very small percentage of women require narcotics for pain control.

If menstrual extractions are performed at 4 weeks or less, the dosage required to pass the Uterine tissue is less and the success rate is greater.

The woman’s menses generally returns in 3 to 6 weeks.

What Is The Cytotec Pill?

Cytotec is a Prostaglandin E1 tablet approved in the US only to prevent gastric ulcers in patients on long term chronic use of Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS).

What Is The MOA (Mechanism of Action) of how Cytotec works?

Prostaglandins are naturally in many parts of our bodies and play a very important role in maintaining our health.

There are Prostaglandin receptors on the walls of the Uterus. Cytotec attaches to these receptors and causes Uterine (womb) Contractions along with softening and opening of the Cervix (Opening of the lower end of the Uterus).

Cytotec has many uses in managing women’s care around the world:

1. Massive Hemorrhage After Delivery- The number one reason for maternal death in the world today is due to the massive loss of blood related to pregnancy. Millions of women around the world have died due to a preventable mishap. WHO has on their most needed medication list that Cytotec is a necessity. Cytotec inserted rectally or given sublingually begins to cause the Uterus to contract and reduce significant bleeding post delivery.
2. Induction of labor at term
3. Insertion of an IUD- Cytotec inserted vaginally or given sublingually 2 to 3 hours prior to insertion reduces risk and complications and discomfort upon insertion
4. Abortion Pill for termination of pregnancies in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy and late term
5. Priming (softening and opening) of the cervix
6. Incomplete Abortions
7. Menstrual Extraction

Side Effects Of Cytotec:

Common side effects associated with the use of Cytotec include:

• Headaches
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Jaw pain
• Chest and shoulder discomfort
• Shivering and Chills
• Rash
• Itchy palms
• Lower back and abdominal pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Vaginal discharge (clear or yellow)
• Yeast infection

Potential Serious Side Effects

• Hemorrhage
• Severe pain
• Elevated temperature of 100.4
• Incomplete passage of tissue
• Uterine infection
• Maternal deaths

The incidence of maternal death is extremely rare.

How Long Does The Vaginal Bleeding Last?

The vaginal bleeding on average lasts for 5 to 14 days. Approximately 8% of patients experience bleeding for 30 days and 1% continue for 60 days4.

2) Dilation and Curettage (D&C):

This procedure is performed in the first trimester (3 to 14 weeks gestation) or early second trimester of pregnancy (14.1 to 16.4 weeks).

What Distinguishes an early second trimester abortion from a late second trimester abortion is that surgical instruments (forceps) are not required to manually remove (extract) the pregnancy tissue from within the Uterus.

The patient electively receives IV Sedation, Deep Sedation, Advanced IV Sedation, or General Anesthesia.

After the patient is placed on the exam table in the position as having a Pap Smear performed, a vaginal speculum is placed inside the vagina. This is used to maintain the opening of the vaginal walls so that the cervix may be visualized.

The cervix is anesthetized with Lidocaine and dilated (opened) with sterile dilators (rods) followed by insertion of a sterile curette (the size of a straw) inside the uterus and the pregnancy tissue is gently removed.

The procedure is a 3 minute pain free safe abortion.

3) Dilation and Evacuation (D&E):

This procedure is performed between 16.5 to 24 weeks and beyond.

Late termination of pregnancy procedures in the USA are most commonly performed using the D&E process. In other parts of the World the Late Term Abortion Pill Method is utilized. The Late Term Medications used are Mifepristone and Cytotec or Cytotec alone.

This D&E procedure normally requires cervical preparation where the cervix is dilated and softened using Laminaria and or Prostaglandins.

Cervical Priming:

Laminaria is sterile seaweed that is shaped like and the length of a matchstick. When placed inside the cervix, they absorb water and expand like a sponge.

They are placed inside the cervix may remain for 4 hours to 24 hours. This allows dilation (opening) of the cervix to occur.

The purpose of using Laminaria to prime the Cervix is to decrease the incidence of cervical tears, bowel and bladder damage, hemorrhage, retained tissue, uterine infection, uterine perforation, chronic pelvic pain, infertility or hysterectomy.

Several Laminaria can be inserted at the same time. Adequate priming of the Cervix may take 1 to 4 days.

Prostaglandins (cytotec/misoprostol) may also be used as a cervical priming agent or induce labor.

The surgical procedure is described as in the Suction D&C in #2 above, plus there may be special forceps used to aid in the manual evacuation of the pregnancy tissue from within the uterine cavity.

Fetal Demise Induced:

The possibility of a live birth is a possibility in pregnancies that are 22 weeks or greater. In the presence of a live birth (fetal heartbeat, breathing or a palpable pulse in the cord) resuscitation measures must be initiated.

To avoid this remote possibility of a live birth from occurring, fetal demise should be considered.

Patients who are generally further than 21 weeks pregnant, undergo fetal intracardiac injection with Digoxin or Potassium Chloride (KCL) stops the fetal heartbeat instantly on day one of the D&E procedure.

Digoxin may be injected into the musculature of within the amniotic fluid. This also allows the fetus to succumb in 24 hours or less.

After adequate cervical priming is assured (day 2 to 4), the pregnancy tissue is gently removed with manual forceps. This process normally takes 10 to 20 minutes.

4) Prostaglandin or Oxytocin Inductions:

This procedure is performed in patients that are 17 weeks and beyond. Both medications cause the uterus to contract and induction of labor. The process is normally completed in 10 to 18 hours.

5) Hysterotomy:

This procedure is rarely performed today. It is similar to performing a C-Section. A small incision is made on the mother’s abdomen and the uterus is opened and the fetus, afterbirth and other pregnancy tissue is removed.

6) Medical Abortions (Abortion Pill):

Early Medical abortions are generally performed between 3 to 10 weeks gestation.

Out-patient or In-clinic abortions are used to terminate pregnancies in the first trimester (3 to 14 weeks), second trimester (14.1 to 28 weeks) third trimester (28.1 weeks plus) or late term abortions (21.3 weeks or further) utilizing the Abortion Pill.

The most common medications used are RU 486 (Mifepristone, Mifeprex, Mifegyne) and Cytotec (Misoprostol).

Other ways of performing medical abortions are with Methotrexate and Cytotec or Cytotec alone.

Late Medical Abortions can occur between 11 to 24 weeks or further. In essence; second trimester and late term abortions can be performed using the Abortion Pill Method. They are used at any gestational age of pregnancy.

The process can be started and completed within 24 hours or less 99% of the time with less than 1% chance of complications or side effects.

How Much Is An Abortion?

The cost of first trimester range in price from $0 to $2,000.

The price of second trimester abortion procedures may cost from $0 to $35,000.

The price of abortions depend on several factors:

• Geographic location
• The number of weeks pregnant- the further the number of weeks, the higher the cost
• VIP or Exclusive appointments for patient privacy
• Private donors and non-profit organizations contributing to procedural costs, travel and room and board

In Summary;

There are late termination and third trimester abortion clinics that use the Abortion Pill method for fetal congenital abnormalities or anomalies. The procedure is started and completed within 24 hours or less in 99% of patients without side effects or complications.

Please do keyword search for “Clinics For Abortion Near Me” or “Abortion Pill Near Me” to locate or be referred to a medical facility that specializes in performing all abortion methods.