Andrea Tuy Abortion

Introduction:

An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy so it does not result in the birth of a baby. It is also sometimes known as a 'termination' or a 'termination of pregnancy'.Depending on how many weeks you have been pregnant, the pregnancy is ended either by taking medication or by having a surgical procedure. An abortion is not the same as a miscarriage, where the pregnancy ends without medical intervention (although medical treatment may be needed after a miscarriage). There are many reasons why a woman might decide to have an abortion including: personal circumstances, a health risk to the mother, a high probability that the baby will have a medical condition.

Andrea Tuy Abortion

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Abortion:

Abortion is the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus. The terms fetus and placenta usually are used after eight weeks of pregnancy, while the other terms describe tissue produced by the union of an egg and sperm before eight weeks. Each year approximately 1.2 million women in the United States choose to end a pregnancy. Other terms for an abortion include elective abortion, induced abortion, termination of pregnancy and therapeutic abortion.

What It's Used For

In the United States, abortion is used most often to end an unplanned pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancies happen when birth control is not used, is used incorrectly or fails to prevent a pregnancy. Abortion is also used to end a pregnancy when tests reveal that the fetus is abnormal. Therapeutic abortion refers to an abortion recommended when the mother's health is at risk.

How It's Done

Doctors can use medications, surgery or a combination of both to end a pregnancy. The method depends on how far along in the pregnancy you are, your medical history and your preference. Abortions during early pregnancy, before 9 weeks, can be done safely with medications. Abortions between 9 and 14 weeks usually are done surgically, although medications may be used to help soften and open the cervix. After 14 weeks, abortions can be done using labor inducing medications that cause uterine contractions or by using these medicines in combination with surgery.

Mifepristone (Mifeprex). Known as RU-486, mifepristone is taken orally as a pill. Approved for use in the United States in 2000, this drug counters the effect of progesterone, a hormone necessary for pregnancy. More than 3 million women in Europe and China have received this drug to end a pregnancy. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain

Menstrual aspiration. This procedure, also called menstrual extraction or manual vacuum aspiration, is done within one to three weeks after a missed menstrual period. This method can also be used to remove the remaining tissue of an incomplete miscarriage (also called a spontaneous abortion). A doctor inserts a small, flexible tube into the uterus through the cervix and uses a handheld syringe to suction out the pregnancy material from inside the womb.

Suction or aspiration abortion. Suction D & C is the procedure most commonly used to end a pregnancy. The cervix is dilated (widened) and a rigid hollow tube is inserted into the uterus. An electric pump sucks out the contents of the uterus. The process takes about 15 minutes. Local anesthesia is usually applied to the cervix to minimize the pain of dilating the cervix.

Dilation and curettage (D and C). In a dilation and curettage, the cervix is dilated and instruments with sharp edges, known as curettes, are used to remove the pregnancy tissue. Suction is often used to make sure all the contents of the

Andrea Tuy Abortion

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Uterus are removed. The earlier in pregnancy this procedure is done, the less the cervix has to be dilated, which makes the procedure easier and safer.

Follow-Up

A medical abortion of an early pregnancy usually requires three or more visits to get abortion medication and make sure all the pregnancy tissue has passed. Bleeding related to the abortion may last up to two weeks. You usually can resume most daily activities within hours after a surgical abortion that uses local anesthesia between 9 and 14 weeks, as long as no sedatives were used. If you received sedatives or were unconscious, as with general anesthesia, don't drive or use dangerous machinery for at least 24 hours. In either case, avoid sexual activity for 2 weeks to prevent infection and to allow the cervix and uterus to return to normal shape

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