Abortion Procedures

Becoming pregnant is one of the greatest joys of being a woman. The ability to conceive a child and give birth to it is incomparable to anything in the world. However, some women may not become mothers due to varied reasons. It could be lack of finances to support the child, poor health condition, congenital disorder of the fetus, or a pregnancy out of a wed-lock. The obvious choice is to go for an abortion. Medically, abortion is a procedure of eliminating the fetus from the uterus. Abortion happening due to natural causes such as an accident or trauma is known as miscarriage. Induced abortion is removal of the fetus medically by different types of procedures. A definite type of abortion procedure is recommended by the doctor after examining how far a woman is into pregnancy. Abortion can be performed with medication as well as surgically.

Abortion in First Trimester

In case of an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, you will be given a choice between medical and surgical abortion. If your gestation is upto 9 weeks, you can opt for a medical abortion. The different types of abortion procedures used in the first trimester are as follows:

Suction Aspiration: This kind of procedure is used to eliminate pregnancy, which is between 6-12 weeks. It is a surgical procedure, which is also referred to as suction curettage or vacuum aspiration.
Methotrexate & Misoprostol (MTX): This is medical procedure for abortion in the first seven weeks of pregnancy.
Mifepristone and Misoprostol: This is a medical procedure which is used to eliminate the fetus between 7-9 weeks of pregnancy. It is also known as RU-486, abortion pill and Mifeprex.

Abortion in Second Trimester

In the second trimester, medical procedures of abortion are usually not an option and the doctor resorts to surgical procedures. The abortion procedures used during the second trimester are as follows:

Dilation & Curettage (D & C): A popular surgical abortion procedure, Dilation & Curettage is used to terminate pregnancy between 13 - 15 weeks. This procedure is also known as suction curettage or vacuum aspiration.
Dilation & Evacuation (D & E): This is yet another surgical procedure, which is used to eliminate pregnancy, which is between 15 - 21 weeks gestation.
Induction Abortion: This kind of surgical procedure is rarely used for abortion. In this, salt water, urea, or potassium chloride is injected into the amniotic sac, while prostaglandins are inserted into the vagina and pitocin is injected intravenously.

Abortion in Third Trimester

In the third trimester, medical procedure is not an option and doctors resort to surgical methods for abortion. The procedure used for abortion in the third trimester is as follows:

Dilation and Extraction: This surgical procedure is used for eliminating pregnancy after 21 weeks of gestation. It is also known as D & X, Intact D & X, Intrauterine Cranial Decompression and Partial Birth Abortion.

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