Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Abortion is a procedure by which a pregnancy is ended either by using medicines or a surgical method. This process is also defined as termination of pregnancy and is done either in the case of a miscarriage or in the case when the pregnancy is a threat to the mother’s life. In some cases, women also opt to terminate the pregnancy if it is unwanted by her or by her relatives. There are many types of procedures which are done to abort a fetus and the information on types of abortion procedures and risks are given below:

Types of Abortion Procedures with their Risks:

Surgical Abortion:

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A surgical abortion is a kind of an abortion procedure in which pregnancy is terminated or ended by the means of removing the fetus and the placenta from the mother’s uterus (womb). In this procedure, a vacuum is used to remove the fetus and is done about 6 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period.

The following are a few risks associated with surgical abortion:

• This procedure can cause damage to the cervix and the womb of the woman.
• It may cause a lot of psychological or emotional distress to the female.
• Excessive bleeding is another risk of a surgical abortion.
• Sometimes, a surgical abortion may also cause infection in the fallopian tube and the uterus.

 Medical Abortion:

Medical abortion is a kind of an abortion which is generally carried out in the earlier periods or stages of the pregnancy and it is a process in which the pregnant woman needs to take medicines so as to end the pregnancy. One can have this kind of an abortion till upto 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The following are a few risks associated with medical abortion:

• One of the greatest risks which is related to a medical abortion is that it may lead to an incomplete abortion which has to be followed up by a surgical procedure.
• Heavy bleeding is one of the side effects or risks of a medical abortion.
• Sometimes, a medical abortion can prove to be risky for the uterus and may even damage it.
• A medical abortion is also likely to cause an infection and this is another risk related to it.

You must consult an experienced doctor before deciding which abortion procedure you should opt for in order to avoid the risks.