Abortion

What is abortion?

Abortion refers to procedures and medications that end a pregnancy, usually in its early to middle stages. It’s a safe procedure, and there are many health and wellness reasons why you might consider it or need to get one. 

Your Women’s Care of Beverly Hills physician performs your abortion procedure safely and follows up with you afterward to ensure you don’t have any concerns or side effects. It’s very unlikely for an abortion to affect your ability to get pregnant in the future if you plan to do so. 

You might have lots of complex feelings before, during, and after your abortion. In many cases, it’s not an easy decision to make. The team at Women’s Care of Beverly Hills is ready to answer all of your questions and offer you the support you need throughout the process and afterward. 

What should I expect while getting an abortion?

There are two categories of medical abortions: medication abortions and in-clinic abortions. Your physician goes over both options with you and helps you decide which type to get. Here are their differences:

Medication abortions

For a medication abortion, your doctor prescribes you one of two types of abortion pills. One works for pregnancies up to the 10-week mark while the other terminates 10- to 13-week pregnancies. Both types cause your uterus to push out the pregnancy tissue, much like a miscarriage.

In-clinic abortions

In-clinic abortions are procedures that your physician performs in the office. One type, called a vacuum aspiration, works for pregnancies up to 8-9 weeks. Your doctor removes the pregnancy with a suctioning device. Another type, called dilation and evacuations, works for pregnancies that are 12-13 weeks and involves forceps alongside gentle suction.

How long does abortion take?

The exact amount of time you can expect your abortion to take depends on the type of abortion you get and the stage of your pregnancy. For an in-clinic abortion, the procedure itself can take as little as 10 minutes, but your entire office visit lasts for around an hour. If you’re later in the pregnancy, you might need to come in more than once.

Medication abortions vary in how long they take too. After your first appointment, your physician will assess the gestational age of the pregnancy and whether or not you are a candidate for the procedure, and give you two pills that you take a couple of days apart. Usually, the abortion is complete within 24 hours of taking the second pill. 

During a follow-up visit after a medication abortion, your Women’s Care of Beverly Hills provider takes another look at your uterus via ultrasound to make sure the abortion was effective. 

If you’re interested in learning more about abortion and how each method works, schedule your appointment by calling Women’s Care of Beverly Hills or booking an appointment online today.