Considering an Abortion? Here’s the Information You Need

Are you pregnant? Do you think you may be pregnant? If so, you may find yourself wondering what your options are. At this point, many people begin looking for abortion information and find the waters to be muddied. The decisions you’re facing are stressful enough as it is. Our goal is to equip you with the facts about abortion so you can make an informed decision about your pregnancy.

Am I Pregnant? Confirming the Status

So how do we start? Well, first things first. You’ll want to confirm whether you’re pregnant or not. A urine test will identify the pregnancy hormone, also known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). They are highly accurate in their detection of hCG levels. However, if you took the test close to the time you missed your period, you may get a more accurate reading now that some time has gone by. The hCG concentration increases each day during early pregnancy, so it may be ideal to test yourself about a week after missing your period.

Two Options for Urine Testing

Regarding your testing journey, here are the primary methods available:

• Home Pregnancy Test (HPT): These have been on the market for several decades and tend to be quite accurate. If you go this route, make sure your test is not expired and that you carefully follow the instructions.
• Clinical Testing: We highly recommend the second option, which is clinical testing. Going into a clinic for your urine test should take away some of the stress of human error. You’ll have the assurance of knowing that the people there are knowledgeable and have gone through the process many times before. This is also an opportunity to gather additional information in a safe, confidential setting.

Confirming Pregnancy and Viability

So let’s say you go to a clinic and your pregnancy test is positive. First of all, that’s typically all the information you’d receive regarding the status of pregnancy; you’d probably be told that the test is positive, rather than being told that you’re pregnant. We understand that there are many factors involved and that a positive reading can mean different things for different people. As effective as these tests are, there’s always the chance for error. That’s why you’ll want to confirm your pregnancy with an ultrasound. This is something we can do for you right here at our office. The ultrasound will confirm whether you have a viable pregnancy. It will also give you a more accurate dating of your pregnancy.

Another thing to consider at this point is making an appointment with your physician. If you don’t already have someone in mind, your physician can refer you to an OB/GYN. Another thing you can be tested for at that time is sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The pregnancy clinic or resource center can help you find one right for you.

Educate Yourself with Abortion Information

There are many young women who go through the steps already mentioned and for one reason or another, do not feel ready to continue the pregnancy. The most important thing at this point is to gather all the abortion facts you can so you can make an educated decision. We’re talking about questions like what abortion is, what it involves at each stage of pregnancy, and whether there are any risks associated with abortion. We’ll now take a look at some information on abortion to get a clearer picture.

Abortion Facts and Definitions

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “a legal induced abortion is defined as an intervention performed by a licensed clinician (e.g., a physician, nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant) that is intended to terminate an ongoing pregnancy.” That said, there are several types of possible abortions.

The following data highlights key facts regarding pregnancy loss and clinical definitions:

• Induced Abortion: An intervention by a licensed clinician intended to terminate an ongoing pregnancy.
• Miscarriage (Spontaneous Abortion): A pregnancy that ends on its own, within the first 20 weeks of gestation.
• Miscarriage Prevalence: This is the most common way a pregnancy is lost, with 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies ending in miscarriage.