Recovery after an abortion procedure is different for every woman. Some side effects are short-lived while some women will experience long-term side effects such as health complications in future pregnancies.
Read the information below so that you can understand what to expect after an abortion and make an educated decision.
Common Side Effects
Surgical Abortion
A surgical abortion will require a visit to a clinic where the procedure is performed while you are under anesthesia. Side effects after the procedure are cramping and mild bleeding or spotting.
Medical Abortion
The most common side effects of a medical abortion are cramping and bleeding. This is caused by the medication working to end the pregnancy and expel all the uterine lining and pregnancy-related tissue from your body. Bleeding and spotting after the procedure can occur up to 30 days after the procedure.
What Are the Health Risks of an Abortion?
Risks of Surgical Abortion
According to the National Library of Medicine, risks of surgical abortion may include the following:
Internal damage from one of the surgical instruments
Excessive bleeding that gets worse instead of better
Infection
Scarring
Reaction to the medicines or anesthesia used
Not removing all of the tissue, requires another procedure
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the complication rate of surgical abortion is about 2 percent.
Risks of the Medical Abortion
The Mayo Clinic lists the following risks associated with medical abortion:
Incomplete abortion (may need to be followed by surgical abortion)
An ongoing unwanted pregnancy (if the procedure doesn’t work)
Heavy/prolonged bleeding
Fever
Digestive system discomfort
Infection
Having an abortion while you have an untreated STI can increase your chance of having a Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) by up to 63%.
Future Health
While abortion can have immediate health risks, it can have future health risks as well:
A 2013 study found that women who have had abortions are more than twice as likely to have a very early preterm delivery in future pregnancies.
Premature infants have a low survival rate.
Next Steps
Before making any decisions, It’s important to be informed and verify the age of the pregnancy as well as get screened for any STIs. Mosaic Health offers both services at no cost.
Take charge of your reproductive health by contacting us today to schedule an appointment. You don’t have to navigate this unplanned pregnancy alone. We are here to support you!