What is an abortion?

Abortion is not just a medical procedure. For many women, it is a life-changing event with physical and emotional consequences.

The medical term abortion means the termination of a pregnancy at any time after implantation of the embryo in the uterus and before viability of the fetus.

Because California law allows abortion anytime during pregnancy, the definition of abortion in California refers to a medical procedure performed by a licensed physician, intended to terminate a pregnancy at any gestational age of the baby.

What are the various methods of abortion?

• RU486, Mifepristone or Medical Abortion:
  Within 4 to 7 weeks after LMP

  RU 486 is only approved for use up to the 49th day after the woman's last menstrual period. Three office visits are required: At the first visit, the woman is given pills to cause the death of the embryo; on the second visit—two days later—if the abortion has not occurred, the woman is given the second drug which causes cramps to expel the embryo; at the third visit the woman undergoes a follow-up ultrasound to determine if the procedure has been completed.

• Manual Vacuum Aspiration:
  Up to 7 weeks after LMP

  This surgical abortion is done early in the pregnancy-up until seven weeks after the woman's last menstrual period. A long, thin tube is inserted into the uterus, a large syringe is attached to the tube, and the embryo is suctioned out.

• Suction Curettage:
  Between 6 to 14 weeks after LMP

  This is the most common surgical abortion procedure. Because the baby is larger, the doctor must first stretch the cervix open using metal rods—a procedure that can be painful and which therefore may require local or general anesthesia. Next, the doctor inserts a hard plastic tube into the uterus, and connects it to a suction machine. The force of the suction pulls the baby's body apart and out of the uterus. Following the suction evacuation, the doctor may also use a sharp instrument called a curette to scrape the remaining fetal parts out of the uterus. (The doctor may refer to the fetus and fetal parts as the "products of conception.")

• Dilation and Evacuation (D&E):
  Between 13 to 24 weeks after LMP

  This surgical abortion is done during the second trimester of pregnancy. At this point in the pregnancy, the baby is too large to be broken up by suction alone. In this procedure, the cervix must be opened wider than in a first trimester abortion, which is done by inserting numerous thin rods made of seaweed a day or two before the abortion. Once the cervix is stretched the doctor used forceps to crush the skull and pull out the fetal parts. A sharp tool (called a curette) is also used to scrape out the contents of the uterus, removing any remaining tissue.

• Dilation and Extraction (D&X) or Partial-Birth Abortion:
  From 20 weeks after LMP to full-term

  This abortion is performed from 20 weeks after last menstrual period to full term—a procedure taking up to three days. During the first two days, the cervix is stretched open using thin rods made of seaweed and medication is given for cramping. On the third day, the woman receives medication to start labor and after labor begins, the doctor uses an ultrasound to locate the baby's legs. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the baby up to the head. Next, the doctor inserts scissors into the base of the skull to create an opening into which a suction catheter is placed to remove the skull contents. The skull collapses and the baby is removed.

Are there psychological or emotional effects on a woman having an abortion?

Abortion is not just a procedure; it may have many side effects. Abortion has been associated with preterm birth, emotional and psychological impact, and spiritual consequences.

Are there other options than abortion? Yes

A woman has the legal right to choose the outcome of her pregnancy, but many do not have the information they need to make an informed choice? Other options are:

• Parenting: Choosing to continue the pregnancy and to parent is challenging, but with the support of caring people, parenting classes and other resources, many women find the help they need with a new baby.
• Adoption: Adoption is the loving and heroic decision often made by women who first thought abortion was their only alternative. Each year, over 50,000 women in America make this choice.

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