What Is Abortion? Experts Answer All of Your Questions
On Monday, May 2, a leaked initial draft majority opinion from the Supreme Court of the United States revealed that the nation’s highest court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that protects a person’s right to abortion access. Before diving into what this incredibly important decision means, let's unpack what exactly is abortion.
Some ideas on what abortion is may come to mind based on things you've heard or seen from friends, family, and the media. However, it's easy to get confused when the world is suddenly abuzz with a word you may have never heard before or maybe never truly understood. And with these different definitions, misconceptions, personal opinions, and laws swirling about, you may have questions on the subject of abortion that haven't been easy to find with a quick Google search.
Seventeen enlisted the help of Dr. Siripanth Nippita, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Meera Shah, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic to be our non-judgemental, medical guides as we foster a learning space around the topic of abortion.
Ahead, find answers to all of your questions on abortion, including the definition, procedural and medical methods, myths, side effects, complications, and emotional aspects.
First of all, what is abortion?
Simply put, Dr. Nippita says that abortion is "when a pregnancy ends," with there being two types of abortion. "Spontaneous abortion is what people would typically call a miscarriage," she says, "Induced abortion refers to taking pills or having a procedure to end a pregnancy."
Induced abortion is very common according to Dr. Shah, with her saying that "About 1 in 4 women in the U.S. will have an abortion by the time they’re 45 years old."
What types of induced abortions are there?
When discussing induced abortion, it's important to note that there are two types — procedural abortion and medication abortion. Below, Dr. Shah breaks down what happens during each method:
Procedural Abortion
A procedural abortion in a health center often begins with lab tests, a physical exam, and possibly an ultrasound. A health care provider may also offer the opportunity to select a method of contraception to begin after the abortion, such as an intrauterine device (IUD).
Depending on how many weeks pregnant you are, you may receive medication to help soften and open your cervix. You will be given an antibiotic to prevent infection, either before or immediately after the abortion.
Your provider will also discuss pain management options with you. Options will vary by health center or clinic, but some options include local anesthesia, minimal sedation, moderate sedation, or deep sedation. No matter what anesthesia or sedation you receive, your health care provider will help you manage any cramping you might experience.
The most common type of procedural abortion is aspiration abortion (also called suction abortion). During aspiration abortion, your provider will open your cervix, insert a suction device, and use gentle suction to empty the uterus. An aspiration abortion typically takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Afterward, you'll be monitored for 15-30 minutes.
Medication Abortion
Medication abortion usually involves taking two medicines to end a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol. In general, medication abortion is most effective up to 11 weeks of pregnancy.
Before receiving the medications, patients interested in a medication abortion may meet with health center staff in person, or have a virtual appointment, to talk about their options and make sure medication abortion is the right choice for them.
To begin the abortion, you will first take mifepristone to block the hormone progesterone. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus breaks down and pregnancy cannot continue. Most people do not have any symptoms or feel different after taking the mifepristone.
The second medication, misoprostol — which can be taken within 48 hours after taking the first pill — will cause cramping and bleeding similar to a heavy period or miscarriage to empty the uterus.
What symptoms can occur during and after having an induced abortion?
During a procedural abortion, Dr. Shad says that "For most people, an abortion feels like strong period cramps, but everyone’s experience is different."
Some patients may feel dizzy or nauseated, some may vomit, have diarrhea, or have temporary mild fever or chills. In most cases, Dr. Shah reports that symptoms go away on their own relatively soon and that taking over-the-counter pain medication after the procedure can also help.
"After a procedural abortion, you should try to take it easy for the rest of the day, but can go back to work, school, driving, exercise, and most other normal activities the next day if you feel up to it, and you can be sexually active as soon as you feel ready."
As for a medication abortion, Dr. Shah says that bleeding, cramping, and nausea are the most common side effects. "Your healthcare provider will talk with you about medications you can take to manage the cramping. Your provider may also give you information on medication to help with nausea."
She says "Plan on taking it easy during the day that you take the misoprostol. Most people start to feel better the day after the abortion is completed. You can go back to work, school, drive, exercise, and most other normal activities the next day, if you feel up to it. And you can be sexually active as soon as you feel ready."
Be aware that you may continue to experience mild or moderate bleeding and cramping on and off for up to a month after a medication abortion. "Most people get their next period one to two months after the abortion, unless you start a hormonal birth control method that changes your periods," Dr. Shah adds.
What are the possible complications of having an induced abortion?
While there is overwhelming evidence that abortion is extremely safe and effective, with patients experiencing serious complications less than one percent of the time according to Dr. Shah, there can be some risks and complications involved as with any medical procedure or treatment.
Dr. Nippita says "The risks of a medication abortion include heavy bleeding, infection (very rare), failed abortion and continuing pregnancy, or incomplete abortion. If the pills don’t work to end the pregnancy, you need a procedure to empty the uterus. The pills work 90% to 99% of the time, depending on the size of the pregnancy."
"Risks of a procedural abortion include bleeding, infection, hurting other organs in the body, and having residual tissue in the uterus that would need another procedure to remedy," she says, reiterating that these complications are extremely rare.
Are there any long-term health risks of having an induced abortion?
Both doctors agree that there are no known long-term health risks of having an induced abortion, whether it be medication or procedural.
"Having an abortion does not decrease your chance of having a healthy pregnancy later on, or affect your future overall health unless a rare, serious complication occurs or is left untreated," Dr. Shah says.
Adding onto that statement, Dr. Nippita dispels any rumors that induced abortion causes mental health problems or increase the risk of having breast cancer.
Shutting down all of the inaccurate internet chatter claiming that induced abortion does cause long-term health problems, Dr. Shah says "Let’s be clear: abortion is a safe, common procedure. False claims about abortion are not based on science, and misinformation has led to a lot of shame and stigma around abortion."
How will having an induced abortion make me feel emotionally and mentally?
While we wish there was a clear, easy answer on this one, it really depends on the situation and the person.
"There’s no one way a person feels emotionally before, during, or after having an abortion — their feelings are unique to them. You may have a range of emotions after having an abortion," Dr. Shah adds, "The most important thing to remember is that pregnancy and abortion are both very common, and deeply personal. Every person’s situation is different and every pregnancy is unique."
While you go through the decision process, Dr. Nippita reminds you to "Be kind to yourself. Try to find people who will support you through the process if you can."
Don't feel like you have a partner, friend, loved one, parent, family member, mental health care provider, or an ally in your life to help you navigate your emotions during the decision? The clinic or direct doctor you go to may have resources to help.
"Sometimes they work with trained volunteers who are happy to help," says Dr. Nippita, add that, "It is your doctor’s job to answer any and all questions you may have about the process. Everyone at the clinic is there to make sure you feel well cared for."
At the end of the day, Dr. Nippita's advice says "Having an abortion is a very personal matter, and people all have different reactions when faced with an unexpected pregnancy or when a pregnancy or your health while pregnant takes an unexpected turn. Trust yourself to do what’s best for you, your future, and your family."
Final thoughts:
"Now more than ever, it’s important to keep in mind that abortion is safe, common, and effective at ending a pregnancy," Dr. Shah says, "Every pregnancy is unique, and every individual's personal decision about their pregnancy should be respected and valued. All people deserve access to high-quality health care, which includes abortion care. And they deserve to have access to all options for getting this care safely."
While the topic of abortion can seem overwhelming at first, particularly when associated with controversy as it's been in the news, there are health care providers open and available to answer any questions you may have on the subject.
For more information on reproductive health care and sex education and where to find your nearest local health center, please visit PlannedParenthood.org.
You Might Also Like
