Q & A Abortion
Q: How far into a pregnancy can this method be used?
A: According to guidelines by Food and Drug Administration, these regimens are highly effective and can be used for termination of pregnancy of less than 70 days.
Q: Is medical abortion painful?
A: Pain associated with medical abortion varies from mild to moderate abdominal pain depending on a person’s pain threshold and the gestational age of the pregnancy.
Q: How much does a medical abortion cost?
A: The price of a medical abortion depends on the center where the termination is carried out, the type of abortion that is done and the gestational age of the pregnancy.
Q: Will my insurance cover medical abortion?
A: Most insurance companies do cover medical abortion but it is always important to check with your insurance provider to confirm.
Q: What are the legal restrictions of a medical abortion?
A: Minors generally require parent’s consent, but it’s important to find out abortion laws relevant to your state of residence. California allows minors to have a termination of pregnancy without parental approval.
Q: What is the role of anti-D in medical abortion?
A: Women who are rhesus negative would need to receive this anti-D immunoglobulin after a medical abortion to prevent miscarriages in subsequent pregnancies.
Q: What happens after taking the second tablet?
A: After taking the second tablet, you may feel abdominal cramps and the product of pregnancy starts coming out with blood. This is the normal process. Normally you can take a pain killer and let the pill do its work.
Q: Should I take a bath after an abortion?
A: Consult your doctor. You may be advised not to take a bath immediately. This is to prevent infection due to water entering the exposed area.
Q: Should I do a pregnancy test after abortion?
A: You may choose to do so, but remember that it can take 40-60 days before the pregnancy test becomes negative. If you take a test immediately afterwards, you will still get a positive result.
Q: What about the confidentiality of the procedure?
A: If you are doing abortion with qualified doctors and nurses, they will always maintain their patients’ confidentiality. There is no need of worry about your information being leaked out.
Q: How effective is the medical abortion?
A: Medical abortion is generally more effective than surgical abortion in early pregnancy.
For pregnancy of less then 7 weeks old, this method will be 98% effective. After that the effectiveness decreases, but still remains as high as 95%.
Q: Is it necessary to maintain the duration between two pills?
A: Yes. Mifepristone and methotrexate need some time for their work. Only after that the misoprostol will be effective in expelling all the content. So you need to keep some distance between two pills.
Q: Are there any other regimens available for medical abortion?
A: Alternative regimens are available, but less used. Sometimes single pills are used but studies have shown them to be 70-85% less effective than the combination.
Q: What pain killers I can take after medical abortion?
A: For mild to moderate pain, you can take Tylenol (500-1000 mg). If pain is more you may take ibuprofen (200-600 mg). In very severe cases, codeine may be prescribed. Consult with your doctor.
Q: How would I know if I have pelvic infection after abortion?
A: If you have fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, lower abdominal pain after medical abortion, you can suspect infection. You should immediately contact a doctor as this is could be a serious condition.
Q: What if medical abortion fails?
A: If medical abortion fails, it can be followed by repeat medical or surgical abortion.
How this regimen is used (FDA regimen)
It requires 3 days and at least 2 visits to a clinic are required for this method.
Day 1
During initial visit, history is taken and examination of the woman is done followed by pre- abortion counseling and investigations. Once the consent is obtained and contraindications are excluded, a tablet containing 200 mg of Mifepristone (RU-486) is given orally to the woman and advised to re-visit on day 2-or 3
Day 2 or 3
She is given the second tablet containing misoprostol (800 microgram) on day 2 or 3 at clinic. Usually following consumption of second tablet, there will be bleeding from vagina and cramps will be felt in the abdomen. This is due to contraction of uterus and expulsion of aborted products of pregnancy. Antibiotics may also be given to prevent the infection. A pain killer medicine can be given to alleviate the pain.
Follow Up Visit
She is advised to visit on day 15 for re-examination and to ascertain that the abortion is complete. It also gives an opportunity for a doctor to check the health status of the woman. Just like in the earlier regimen the woman is asked for a follow up visit on the 15th day. Call us to find out contraindications of regiment.
Insurance Plans
Her Smart Choice accepts most major insurance plans. Please remember to bring your insurance card(s) with you to your appointment.
We also accept cash payment and offer convenient payment plan options.
Our Happy Customers
Compassionate care! OMG, I went to this clinic recently and they REALLY took care of me. I called to make an appointment in the morning and they saw me that same afternoon. It was totally easier than I thought and the whole thing took about forty-five minutes. The girl at the front desk was super sweet and the doctor was patient with my (million) questions.
I went here. I was late for my appointment, hot from the weather, and angry from the bus. Was a mess when I walked through the door. The lady who gave me my paperwork was so nice and I saw the doctor without waiting. The whole vibe of the place really perked me up, everyone was so understanding. Thank you, guys!
Girls, I went here for a pill abortion and it was actually a great experience. Like, it was my first time and I wasn’t sure what to expect but since I was getting close to the 10-week point I knew I’d have to make it happen. I made an appointment here, I filled out the paperwork, did the ultrasound, spoke with the doctor, and got the medication —suuuuuper simple.
