This is a great question, and we’re glad you’re asking it. If you’re considering having an abortion for your unexpected pregnancy, you should be aware of some of the possible complications.

Additionally, Arkansas bans abortion at all stages with no exceptions. You will need to take into consideration potential travel costs as well as the cost of the abortion.

Schedule a free and confidential appointment at HopePlace. We’ll give you the facts about abortion procedures, side effects, and risks.

Do You Know How Far Along Your Pregnancy Is?

There are two types of abortion procedures: medical and surgical. How far along you are in your pregnancy usually determines the type of abortion you qualify for. Let’s take a closer look at both procedures.

Medical Abortion

You may have heard about the abortion pill method. The abortion pill is a medical abortion because it uses drugs to end a pregnancy and remove the pregnancy tissue from your body.

An abortion provider prescribes two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. The first drug, mifepristone, blocks progesterone from reaching the uterus. Without progesterone, the pregnancy cannot survive. Misoprostol, the second drug, causes contractions and bleeding to remove the pregnancy from your body.

The FDA approves the drugs for a medical abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy only.

Some of the risks of the abortion pill method include the following:

• An incomplete abortion (also known as retained products of conception) occurs when the body doesn’t release all of the pregnancy tissue. You may require a surgical procedure to remove the remaining tissue.
• An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work.
• Heavy and prolonged bleeding, which means soaking two or more pads an hour for two hours in a row.
• An infection.

Some women also report severe cramping and large blood clots after taking misoprostol.

Surgical Abortion

Several surgical procedures depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy. If you are in your first trimester (13 weeks or under), you could qualify for suction or vacuum aspiration.

A later pregnancy may require dilation and curettage (D&C) or dilation and evacuation (D&E). These are more invasive procedures and often require local or general anesthesia.

Some of the risks of surgical abortion include the following.

• Uterine perforation occurs when a surgical instrument pokes a hole in your uterine wall.
• Infection.
• Bleeding.
• The potential for developing Asherman’s syndrome.

Come to HopePlace For Answers to Your Questions

As you can see, it’s critical that you correctly determine how far along you are in your pregnancy. Knowing this information makes the difference between using the abortion pill method and having a surgical procedure.

Although HopePlace does not perform or refer for abortion, we can offer free, limited ultrasound referrals. An ultrasound is the best way to determine the number of weeks and days you’ve been pregnant.

Make a free and confidential appointment at HopePlace. We’ll give you honest, pressure-free answers to all of your questions. You deserve to have as much information as possible. Schedule a free consultation today.

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.

HopePlace Berryville does not perform or refer for abortion.