3 Things Needed Before Abortion?
If considering abortion, you need three things to protect your health and safety: a positive pregnancy test, details from an ultrasound, and STI/STD testing.
After collecting these three items, which one appointment can often achieve, you will also want to understand the procedures and potential risks while reviewing your health history with a medical professional.
1. Positive Pregnancy Test
When wondering whether or not you could be pregnant, you might jump to conclusions before finding out for sure. Verify the presence of pregnancy hormones by taking a pregnancy test after your first missed period.
If it’s positive, the test has detected the presence of the pregnancy hormone, hCG. A positive pregnancy test doesn’t give you all the necessary details, though. It’s simply the first step.
2. Details from an Ultrasound
A positive pregnancy tells you whether or not you’re pregnant, but an ultrasound reveals even more details.
An ultrasound scan will provide three key pieces of information:
How Far Along You Are (Pregnancy Gestation)
During an ultrasound, a sonographer or trained medical professional can take measurements and tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy. The number of weeks of pregnancy determines your abortion options based on local laws and the procedures available to you.
For instance, the FDA has only approved the abortion pill within the first ten weeks of pregnancy. After that, a surgical abortion might be considered a safer choice for you.
Viability (Progressing Pregnancy)
An ultrasound will tell you if your pregnancy is progressing normally and has a heartbeat. If the pregnancy has ended in miscarriage, an abortion would no longer be an option.
While the miscarriage might resolve independently, you will want to seek medical care to ensure you pass all the pregnancy tissue and recover fully without infection.
Location of the Pregnancy
There’s only one place in the body meant to carry a pregnancy to term: the uterus. If a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, it’s considered ectopic. This type of pregnancy can be dangerous and lead to tubal rupture if located in a fallopian tube.
An ultrasound can identify this kind of pregnancy so you can receive timely treatment.
3. STD Testing and Treatment
Before moving forward with an abortion, you will want to receive STD testing and treatment. We offer STD testing to women who do not have a current positive pregnancy test.
Getting this taken care of before abortion will prevent it from spreading deeper into the reproductive system during the procedure when the normal barrier created by the cervix is disturbed. An abortion with an untreated STD can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
STD testing and treatment can help protect your long-term health.
What Do You Need?
Are you assessing your pregnancy options? Do you need pregnancy testing, STD testing, or an ultrasound? How about free and confidential support?
We can help. Schedule a no-cost appointment today!
Pre-Abortion Screening
After finding out that you are pregnant, you may be considering an abortion. Regardless of whether you are wanting a medical or surgical abortion
Pregnancy Testing
Wondering if you might be pregnant? The first step to understanding your pregnancy options is by confirming your pregnancy with a lab-quality pregnancy test.
Ultrasounds
Ultrasound scans identify critical health details about your pregnancy so you can protect your health and know your options.
Pre-Abortion Screening
After finding out that you are pregnant, you may be considering an abortion. Regardless of whether you are wanting a medical or surgical abortion
Pregnancy Testing
Wondering if you might be pregnant? The first step to understanding your pregnancy options is by confirming your pregnancy with a lab-quality pregnancy test.
Ultrasounds
Ultrasound scans identify critical health details about your pregnancy so you can protect your health and know your options.
