Abortion Info

Before Fourteen Weeks

1. Suction Curettage (Aspiration)
The patient lies on her back with feet in stirrups, and the physician applies an injection of anesthesia to the cervix to help reduce the pain. The physician guides the suction device through the cervix and into the uterus. The suction machine is turned on and the force of the vacuum pulls the placenta and fetus parts through the suction tube into a collection bottle.

2. Dilation and Curettage ( D&C, or sharp curettage)
The physician opens the cervix using the same procedure as described above, except that the abortion is performed with a loop-shaped knife which is used to scrape the wall of the uterus, cutting the fetus and placenta into smaller pieces and pulling them out of the uterus through the cervix.
This abortion method is not as common, because it requires more dilation, more time, and is not as safe as suction curettage.

3. RU-486
RU-486 (mifepristone) is given between the fifth and seventh week after the start of the woman's last menstrual period. It may be given up to the ninth week, however the effectiveness diminishes. Mifepristone causes the body to act as though it is not pregnant and a heavy period occurs. Mifepristone can be given alone or in combination with prostaglandin for increased effectiveness. Prostaglandins cause the cervix to dilate and the uterus to contract and push the fetus from the woman's body, similar to labor.
The procedure takes approximately three to five days. The first office visit consists of a physical, an ultrasound and lab tests. On the second visit the woman takes RU-486. Approximately 36 to 48 hours later the third office visit occurs and a prostaglandin is given to induce labor. The woman is monitored for a few hours and sent home. The woman usually aborts the fetus at home. The fourth office visit is scheduled for one week later. If the abortion has not occurred at this time, or if there is heavy bleeding, an ultrasound is performed to determine if the uterus is empty or if parts of the baby or placenta remain. If parts remain, a D&C will be performed.

After Fourteen Weeks

1. Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
In the second trimester the bones of the fetus are larger and stronger and will not fit through the suction tubing. The cervix also needs to be dilated more than in the first trimester. The physician inserts laminaria (a type of seaweed that expands when it gets wet) a day or two prior to the abortion to help dilate the cervix. Following the dilation of the cervix, the physician uses a medical instrument resembling pliers to pull the fetus into smaller parts and removes the parts from the woman's body through the cervix.

After Sixteen Weeks

Saline, prostaglandin, and urea instillation procedures, common in the 1970's and 1980's, are rarely used now.

1. Saline Abortion
Concentrated salt solution is injected through the woman's abdomen into the amniotic sac. The fetus absorbs the solution, which is poisonous, and eventually dies. The saline also causes the uterus to contract and push the fetus out of the uterus.

2. Prostaglandin Abortion
An injection of a hormone called prostaglandin is injected into the woman's amniotic sac. The hormone causes the uterus to contract and push the fetus out of the uterus.

3. Urea Abortions
Similar to the saline procedure but not as effective. Urea is used to soften the fetal tissue to make the delivery easier, safer and not as painful. Late Term Abortions