Your first reaction when you find out you’re unexpectedly pregnant may be to get an abortion. No one will have to know about the pregnancy, right? But are you aware that there are potential physical and emotional risks with every abortion procedure?
Get the facts so you can make a confident decision.
Do This Before Ordering the Abortion Pill
The abortion pill method uses two drugs to end a pregnancy. Before purchasing the drugs, you need to confirm your pregnancy first. A late period and a positive pregnancy test may not be enough information. You should verify your pregnancy with an ultrasound.
An ultrasound determines three things:
- If your pregnancy is viable (developing) or if you’ve had a miscarriage.
Experts estimate that as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and most of those are in the first 12 weeks. It is possible to get a false-positive pregnancy test because it takes a woman’s body time to return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels after a miscarriage.There’s no need to order abortion drugs if you’ve already miscarried. If an ultrasound detects a fetal heartbeat, your pregnancy is viable.
- An ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy.
Many women are unsure of the date they became pregnant. It can be difficult to determine.If you’re considering using abortion drugs, the FDA approves their use through 10 weeks of pregnancy only. The drugs become less effective the further along you are. They may not work, or you may wind up with an incomplete abortion (the drugs terminate the pregnancy, but tissue remains in your body).
- Knowing the location of your pregnancy is vital.
Although rare, some pregnancies implant and begin growing in the wrong location. This is known as an ectopic pregnancy.An ectopic pregnancy is extremely dangerous, even life-threatening. Knowing the location of your pregnancy is vital. Abortion drugs do not terminate an ectopic pregnancy.
Physical Risks of the Abortion Pill Method
The physical risks of taking abortion drugs include:
- Heavy bleeding that won’t stop
- Diarrhea and digestive pain
- Allergic reaction to the medications
- Infection
Some women have also reported incredible pain after taking the second drug.
Emotional Risks of an Abortion
A review of several studies about abortion concluded the following:
- Abortion is consistently associated with elevated rates of mental illness compared to women without a history of abortion.
- The abortion experience directly contributes to mental health problems for at least some women.
- There are risk factors, such as pre-existing mental illness, that identify women at greatest risk of mental health problems after an abortion.
You Have Other Options
Although abortion may have been your first thought when you found out you were unexpectedly pregnant, it isn’t your only option. Why not take a closer look at placing your child for adoption?
As the expectant mother, you have particular rights, including the following:
- To pay nothing for adoption services.
- To receive a thorough explanation of the entire adoption process.
- Choose the adoptive family if you wish.
- Decide how much contact you want with the adoptive family and your child.
- To receive free medical and legal services.
- To receive additional pregnancy-related assistance, such as help with housing, utilities, food, etc.
- You can change your mind in MO anytime until you sign a Consent to Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption form.
We encourage you to take a closer look at making an adoption plan before deciding how to handle your unplanned pregnancy. Placing a child for adoption is a challenging, loving, painful, and selfless choice. Learn more by filling out our confidential Contact Form or calling 888-564-HOPE (4673).
This blog is for informational purposes only. This is not legal or medical advice. While we try our best to reflect current laws with accuracy at the time of writing, please note the laws can change over time.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.