Therapeutic abortion is the ending of a pregnancy on purpose. A medical abortion is done by taking medicine. This procedure can be done up to 8 weeks of pregnancy.
This process is not the same as emergency contraception. An abortion ends a pregnancy that has started. Emergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy.
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This procedure may be done to:
It is best to do the procedure as early as possible. This will decreases the chance of complications.
Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen, such as:
The care team may meet with you to talk about:
No anesthesia will be used.
Medicine will be given in the doctor's office. This medicine will stop the pregnancy. It may be a pill, given by shot, or inserted into the vagina. Some people will also need to take other medicine 1 to 3 days later.
An exam will be done about a week later to make sure the procedure is done.
More medicine may be needed if the abortion was not complete. A surgical procedure may also be needed to remove any tissue that remains in the uterus.
The process can take a few hours. The amount of time depends on the type of medicine used.
Bleeding and cramping is common after the procedure. Medicine and home care help.
It will take up to 2 to 6 weeks for bleeding and cramping to go away. Tampons and sex will need to be avoided. Counseling may be advised to help cope with the procedure.
Call the doctor if you are not getting better or you have:
If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
http://www.sogc.org
Women's Health Matters
http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca
Abortion. American Pregnancy Association website. Available at: https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion. Accessed August 26, 2021.
Induced abortion. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/procedure/induced-abortion. Accessed August 26, 2021.
What is medical abortion? National Abortion Federation website. Available at: https://www.prochoice.org/pubs_research/publications/downloads/about_abortion/medical_abortion.pdf. Accessed August 26, 2021.
Last reviewed July 2021 by
EBSCO Medical Review BoardBeverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 8/26/2021