Live Life Team
An Abortion literally means ‘termination of pregnancy’ or just ‘termination’. It is a medical process wherein the birth of the baby is stopped by ending the pregnancy.
However, an Abortion is different from a miscarriage. Miscarriage happens automatically without any kind of medical process. And medical treatment may be necessary after a miscarriage takes place.
When you are going for an abortion, you will require the prior referral from two doctors that the Abortion Act 1967 has been satisfied. The two doctors can be your GP and a doctor from the place where the abortion is to be performed. The charges can vary depending upon the organisation carrying out the abortion, the pregnancy stage, and the method that needs to be used.
WHEN AN ABORTION SHOULD BE DONE
According to UK laws and the Abortion Act 1967, an abortion should be carried out within 24 weeks of pregnancy, the ideal time-scale being 12 weeks. The sooner the process is done, the safer and easier it becomes for the procedure to be performed.
The only instance when the abortion may be permitted after 24 weeks is: if it is needed for the woman’s life to be saved, if the mental or physical health of the pregnant woman is in danger of injury, or if it is diagnosed the child born will have serious mental or physical malformation.
WHY AN ABORTION IS NECESSARY
There are 4 main reasons why an abortion may become necessary: if the woman’s life is at greater risk with continuing the pregnancy than ending it; if the woman becomes liable to mental or physical health injury due to the pregnancy; if the woman’s existing children would come at a mental or physical health injury risk due to the pregnancy; or if the child that is to be born is diagnosed with serious physical or mental malformation.
HOW AN ABORTION IS PERFORMED
There are 3 main ways in which an abortion can be performed, depending upon the week of your pregnancy.
Early Medical Abortion – up to 9 weeks of pregnancy: on the first visit to your doctor, a tablet called mifepristone that obstructs the hormone making the womb lining proper for the fertilized egg is given. 48 hours after this another tablet prostaglandin is given, which breaks down the lining of the womb within 4-6 hours, removing the embryo through the vagina.
Vacuum aspiration or Suction Termination – 7-15 weeks: the cervix of the womb is dilated and a small plastic tube connected to a pump is inserted in to remove the foetus and surrounding tissue. The whole process takes just 5-10 minutes.
Late abortion – 20-24 weeks: 2 methods – Surgical 2-stage abortion: the heartbeat of the foetus is stopped and the neck of the womb is softened. The next day the foetus and surrounding tissue is removed. Medically Induced abortion: prostaglandin is injected inside the womb, which makes it contract like in labour. It lasts for about 6-12 hours, after which the D&E process is used to ensure that the womb is totally cleared.
RISKS OF AN ABORTION
At the time of abortion: haemorrhage can occur in 1 of 1000 cases; cervix damage can happen in 10 of 1000 cases; 4 out of 1000 cases can incur womb damage.
After the abortion: the major risk can be infections to the womb causing heavy bleeding from the vagina. If infections are not taken care of, it can lead to infertility or even an ectopic pregnancy.
