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Abortion: Or everything you want to know about abortions but were afraid to ask

Most important fact: nobody, absolutely nobody likes having an abortion, and many abortions are avoidable by using the ‘emergency contraceptive pill’ within 72 hours of having unprotected sexual intercourse.

Not using emergency contraception if you are worried that you could be pregnant, is ‘burying your head in the sand’ and hoping for the best. Get down to your family doctor, or any other family doctor, or your local family planning clinic or your local ‘emergency room’ NOW and get yourself the ‘emergency contraceptive pill’.

Facts about abortions

There are few subjects which raise more emotion in people than that of abortion. The arguments rage backwards and forwards from ‘it is murder’ to ‘it is the right of every woman to have an abortion if she wants one’.

These arguments all have some truth in them, but dealing with the facts:

  • Abortion of foetuses up to the 24th week of pregnancy is legal in England, Scotland and Wales (in Northern Ireland is only legal in exceptional circumstances)

  • Abortion is available in these countries subject to the approval of two doctors.

  • 180,000 legal abortions are carried out in Britain every year

  • The majority of abortions are carried out before 12 weeks

Further facts are:

  • Legal abortion is very safe for the pregnant woman, and there is very little risk, particularly during early pregnancy

  • Legal abortion does not normally interfere with you having a baby later on in life

  • Legal abortion is free on the National Health Service in England, Scotland and Wales

The methods of ‘abortion’ that are used:

The abortion pill:

  • This works for up to 9 weeks after the date that you had your last period

  • It involves two or three visits to the clinic or hospital

  • You take tablets given to you by the clinic or hospital at the first visit

  • Two days later you visit again and have prostaglandin pessary (tablet) inserted into your vagina. You stay in hospital for a few hours after this until you have aborted, which sometimes involves having strong pains like period pains

For a small number of people (less than one in twenty) this method does not work and you have to have the suction method described below

The suction, or vacuum aspiration, method:

  • This can be used up to 12 weeks after you have had your last period

  • You normally will be ‘put out’ by having a general anaesthetic, which may when you come round from it, make you feel tired for a bit

  • You don’t normally have to stay in the clinic or hospital overnight

Both these methods are very safe and are unlikely to lead to any complications like not being able to have a baby later on.

For late abortions after 12 weeks:

  • after 13 to 14 weeks different methods of abortion are used

  • over 13 weeks there is a similar method as the abortion pill method but with some variation, and there may be more pain and bleeding

  • another method is dilating your cervix under anaesthetic and sucking out the foetal remains

Remember
If you think that might be pregnant, and think that you want to have an abortion – act straight away – don’t wait – because the earlier that you have an abortion, the safer and easier it is.

You can get pregnant again two weeks after you have had an abortion, so that even if sex is the last thing you are thinking of, make sure you get some decent advice about contraception


Taken from the website

www.teenagehealthfreak.org.uk

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Common questions on abortion answered

If you are pregnant and do not want the baby then there is a lot to consider, a doctor and counsellors will do their best to advise you. However, here are a few of the common questions about abortion answered.

How late in a pregnancy can an abortion be done?
An abortion should be done as early as possible. Most abortions are done during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because they are safest then. Some-times abortions are done as late as 20 weeks, but this is very rare.

How safe is an abortion?
According to the experts ‘Abortions are very safe. They are now one of the safest operations of all. And, the earlier the abortion, the lower the chance of any complications.’

If I have an abortion can I still have children later on?
Yes. Women who have an early abortion are just as likely as women in general to have a healthy baby in future.

Is an abortion painful?
Local or general anaesthetic are used before an abortion to control pain. Most women feel cramps (like strong period cramps) for a short time. If a woman needs it, the doctor will give her extra medication for the pain.

How do you feel after an abortion?
In general, women consider abortion because being pregnant at that time is in some way wrong for them. Most women feel relief after their abortion and feel that they have made the right decision for themselves.

According to the experts ‘Abortions are very safe. They are now one of the safest operations of all. And, the earlier the abortion, the lower the chance of any complications.’

Some women feel sad or emotional afterwards due to the whole experience. You may need a supportive friend, relative or counsellor at this time. Researchers have found that an abortion does not generally make a woman feel bad about herself years later.

Do many teenagers have abortions?
About 45% of pregnant teenagers choose to have an abortion. Unfortunately, many other teenagers decide to have an abortion too late in their pregnancies. Either they don’t realise they are pregnant or they don’t know what to do about it. That is why it is important to see someone if you think you are pregnant as then you can get all the help you need and as quickly as possible.

Is it wrong to have an abortion?
Some religions think that abortion is wrong. For example Roman Catholics. This is because they believe that life begins at the moment of conception and should be protected from this time.

However, other people believe that abortions is a responsible decision, when a woman cannot handle a pregnancy or is in the situation to take care of a child properly. It all comes down to everybody’s personal beliefs and opinions.

Is it legal to have an abortion?
It is in most countries. For example it is legal in England, Wales and Scotland but not in Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic where abortion is illegal. This is because the Irish religion is Roman Catholic.

What happens if I live in Ireland?
This is a very difficult question to answer. By law, Irish women must follow the law and respect their religion that abortion is illegal in their country. However, as time has moved on, people realise that we are all beginning to follow personally chosen religion and beliefs.

Marie Stopes International can still help if you do have an unplanned pregnancy and live in Ireland. There is a centre based in Dublin which can help you with advice and counselling. If you do choose to go ahead with the abortion, you would then have to travel to England for the procedure.

The above information is from Pupiline’s web site which can be found at www.pupiline.net.

@ 1999 – 2003 Pupiline Limited.
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