If you’ve decided that an abortion is the correct choice for you, there are better options other than finding natural ways of abortion. There is no proof that any non-medical method will work and will not cause fatal and life-threatening outcomes for you. Natural abortion methods are therefore generally not recommended and are mostly not grounded in any science. Medical abortion through abortion pills, or surgical methods of abortion allow you to go through the process under the supervision of a trained and qualified medical procedure making it extremely safe for you.
Medical abortion – In this you are required to take abortion pills either by consuming them or having them dissolved in your vagina or inner cheek.
Surgical abortion – It is a suction-based medical procedure performed by a doctor.1
A medical abortion is possible usally up to 9-11 weeks of pregnancy. Usually, a doctor will determine if a woman is no longer eligible for a medical abortion if she is 9-11 weeks into her pregnancy.2 Aspiration abortions are possible for women up to 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, whereas D&E abortions are usually performed at 16 weeks or later. Both of these types of surgical abortion have been explained below.3
Aspiration abortion
The pregnancy is eliminated using suction after a tube is put into the womb through the cervix (the entrance to the womb from the vagina). Most women go home a few hours after vacuum aspiration, which takes around 5 to 10 minutes.
Dilatation and evacuation (D&E)
To terminate the pregnancy, special equipment called forceps are inserted through the cervix and into the womb. The procedure is usually done under sedation or general anaesthesia. It usually just takes 10 to 20 minutes, and you can generally return home the same day.4
How effective are surgical abortions?
Surgical abortions are extremely effective as they work more than 99 times out of 100. Incomplete abortion or requiring a repeat procedure since the abortion did not work is quite uncommon.5
You may encounter certain side effects right after the treatment and during the recovery phase. Bleeding including blood clots, nausea, vomiting, sweating, faintness and cramps after taking abortion pill are all common surgical abortion side effects.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Vaginal discharge with a foul odour
- Passing huge blood clots for almost two hours
- Heavy bleeding that requires you to change your pad twice in one hour for two hours straight
- Pain or cramping that worsens rather than improves, particularly after 48 hours
- Symptoms of pregnancy that last more than a week 6
