Pregnancy - Different Abortion Types and Health Risks for Women

Abortion is when a pregnancy is ended or terminated deliberately on will. It can also happen naturally and is called miscarriage. An abortion is carried out by surgery or by use of some drugs. Abortion involves removal of the fertilized egg or the embryo from the womb.
The decision of an abortion may be taken due to a number of reasons such as gap between children or control over the number of children a couple wants to have. Abortion is conducted in various ways either surgically or by taking medicines. Most of the abortions are carried out in case of unplanned pregnancies.
Having an abortion on time and by a practiced physician is very important. It is necessary to have it the legal way otherwise it may cause complications and prove harmful. A qualified doctor should be consulted who makes sure that abortion at any stage of pregnancy will not be a risk to the mother’s health. Sometimes, at the hands of unpracticed, illegal people, many mothers lose their lives or suffer harmful consequences.

Different Types of Abortion

If a woman wants to have an abortion, the first thing to do is to consult a doctor. The doctor will decide keeping in mind the woman’s health and stage of pregnancy and which type of abortion is suitable. Different types of abortion may include both medical and surgical method.

Abortion by Medicines

Also known by the name of medical abortion, it applies to an abortion brought about by medication taken to end pregnancy.

• Mifepristone is a drug that is given to induce abortion.
• Misoprostol is also sometimes given along with mifepristone to abort an embryo.
• Methotrexate is a medicine used for medical termination of pregnancy.

The process of medical abortion involves bleeding like menstrual period and other side effects. Most of the time, medicines are able to abort pregnancies with a success rate of 75-95%. They are also less of a threat rather than surgery which may involve injury to internal body organs of women.

Surgery

• Dilation and extraction procedure is accomplished by cervical preparation similar to case of evacuation, where the fetus is removed keeping intact.
• Early termination is performed with little cervical dilation and with help of a hand syringe or canola attached to a suction machine.
• Sometimes with help of drugs, labor is induced for birth in which fetus can be removed.
• Dilation and curettage is also a surgical method in which the uterus is emptied with a sharp metal curette so that no remains of fetus are found.

Health Risks for Women Involved In Abortions

• The medicines can leave a side effect on woman’s body that can effect the circulation of blood or lead to clotting of blood.
• The medicines can also lead to some internal injury that can hinder future pregnancies.
• The surgical instruments if not properly sterilized can lead to complications.
• The use of surgical tools my lead to some further injuries in a woman’s body.

The methods of abortion should be thoroughly discussed and planned with the doctor so that proper care and handling is carried out without causing any further problems.