What Are the Risks of Abortion?

Common risks of abortion vary based on the type of procedure you have: medical abortion or surgical abortion. Common risks that all abortions share include infection and incomplete abortion, which can require surgical treatment.

You deserve to ask questions about abortion and its risks to make a fully informed decision. It’s best to talk to a medical professional about your current health and what unique risks may come with going about this pregnancy option.  

The Two Types of Abortion 

1. Medical Abortion (The Abortion Pill)

A medical abortion, also known as the abortion pill, consists of a series of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol.

Mifepristone first blocks the hormone progesterone, preventing the uterus from sustaining a pregnancy and causing the fertilized egg to detach from the uterine wall. Second, misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy from your body.

Risks of Medical Abortion

There are possible risks to medical abortion, including the following:

• Fever
• Infection
• Digestive system discomfort
• Heavy, prolonged bleeding
• Incomplete abortion (which may require a surgical procedure)
• An ongoing pregnancy (if the drugs don’t work)

The FDA only recommends medical abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Otherwise, risks go up significantly after that.

2. Surgical Abortion

Surgical abortion is much more invasive than a medical abortion. A surgical abortion involves receiving anesthesia, dilating the cervix, and introducing surgical instruments to remove the pregnancy from the body.

Risks of Surgical Abortion

Potential risks of surgical abortion include:

• Damage to the uterus or cervix
• Uterine perforation 
• Excessive bleeding
• Infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes
• Scarring of the inside of the uterus
• Reaction to the drugs or anesthesia, such as problems breathing
• Not removing all of the tissue, requiring another procedure

More Information Before Abortion

Get all your abortion risk questions answered before making up your mind. You owe it to yourself to understand the facts. We can help at Ascend Women’s Center with free and confidential options education.

It’s vital to safeguard your health by confirming your pregnancy details before any abortion procedure. We offer free medical-grade pregnancy testing administered by an RN and limited OB ultrasounds.

Start getting clarity today. Schedule your free appointment to learn more.

Ascend Women’s Center does not provide or refer for abortions. 

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