Orange County Abortion Information

The abortion option. 

The professional and medical staff at Birth Choice Health Clinics can help answer any questions you may have regarding an abortion.  We have multiple locations in Orange County to provide you with information about pregnancy, abortion, and related health issues.

The first step is to confirm pregnancy, and Birth Choice Health Clinics offer quality laboratory urine tests to detect a pregnancy.  A pregnancy test detects for a hormone known as B-hCG, which is only made during pregnancy.  This test does not ensure that there is a viable (developing) and intrauterine (in the uterus) pregnancy.   If this test is positive, the pregnancy should be confirmed by ultrasound to ensure that there is a viable and intrauterine pregnancy. This is especially important as a pregnancy outside the uterus (known as an ectopic pregnancy) is a medical emergency and should be treated immediately in an emergency room of a hospital.

If you are considering an abortion, you should be well informed about all aspects of an abortion.  Abortion is a surgical procedure with risks to the mother.  A woman should also consider that miscarriage, or natural loss of the pregnancy, is very common.   According to the American College of Obstericians and Gynecologists (ACOG), an estimated 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will naturally end in a miscarriage. 

If you would like to speak to someone regarding abortion and alternatives, please contact us to make a medical consultation.  We provide free and confidential services to ensure that you have all the information when making your decision to have an abortion.

Choosing an Abortion Provider
If you choose abortion, there are several things to consider.  It is not a risk-free procedure and needs to be treated seriously.  To ensure a woman's health and safety, there are several very important questions to ask an abortion provider. Am I going to a licensed medical clinic? What are my legal rights?  To receive more information on patients rights, you may contact our professional and medical staff for a confidential consultation.  Your personal health is important.

Frequently Asked Questions on Abortion:

What is a medical abortion?
A medical abortion causes the termination of a pregnancy by using a combination of medications. The protocol approved by the Food and Drug Administration allows this type of abortion up to 49 days after the last menstrual period.  It is usually used up to seven weeks, but sometimes up to nine weeks from the last menstrual period.  The current regimen approved by the FDA includes one dose of mifepristone. This causes the blockage of progesterone, a hormone needed for the fetus to grow and develop. After taking the mifepristone, a woman will return to the doctor and be administered misoprostol to make the uterus contract and empty.

Bleeding may occur for weeks after the medical abortion.  Please be advised to follow doctor's instructions regarding amount of bleeding. Medical attention may become necessary.

What are some of the possible side effects of abortion?
A woman will may experience cramping of the uterus or pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness and fatigue. Other risks include: hemorrhaging requiring treatment with anoperation; incomplete removal of the fetus, placenta or contents of the uterus; death.

In cases when a medical abortion fails to terminate the pregnancy, a surgical abortion will
become necessary to complete the abortion.

What is a surgical abortion?
It is a surgical procedure performed to terminate a pregnancy.

What types of abortion are there?
Suction Aspiration
In this method, the cervical muscle ring is first paralyzed and stretched open with dilators (metal rods).  A hollow plastic tube with a knifelike edge is inserted into the uterus.  The fetus is then removed by using a handheld suction device and the placenta is cut from the uterine wall.

Dilation and Curettage (D&C) with Vacuum Aspiration
This is a surgical procedure usually used in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.  The doctor first opens the cervix with a dilator (metal rod) or laminaria (think sticks derived from seaweed) andthen empties the uterus with a suction machine and tools.  After suctioning, the doctor may scrape the walls of the uterus with a curette, a loop-shaped knife, to ensure the fetus, placenta, and contents of the uterus have been completely removed.

Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
This surgical procedure is generally performed after 12 weeks of pregnancy.  The doctor will first dilate the cervix.  Then, laminaria sticks are commonly insterted into the cervix.  When inserted, the laminaria sticks absorb moisture and expand, causing the cervix to enlarge.  An instrument is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus to scrape and remove the fetus and placenta.

Dilation and Extraction (D&X)
This procedure takes three days.  During the first two days, the cervix is dilated and medication is given for cramping.  On the third day, the woman receives medication to start labor.  After labor begins, the abortion doctor uses ultrasound to locate the positioning of the fetus.  Using forceps the fetus is delivered up to the head.  Next, scissors are inserted into the skull to create an opening.  A suction catheter is placed into the opening to remove the skull contents.  The skull collapses and the fetus is removed.

What are the risks of abortion?

The risks for any anesthesia are:
• Allergic reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

The risks for any surgery are:
• Hemorrhaging (bleeding)
• Infection

Additional risks of surgical abortion include:
• Excessive bleeding
• Infection of the uterus
• Infection of the fallopian tubes (which can cause scarring and cause infertility)
• Puncture (perforation) of the uterus
• Scarring of the uterine lining (suction tubing, curettes, and other abortion instruments may cause permanent scarring of the uterine lining)
• Damage to the cervix (creating complications with future pregnancies)
• Death, in rare circumstances

Side effects of abortion
• Emotional or psychological distress
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Nausea
• Vomiting  

References
1) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Induced Abortion, 2001.
2) Warren Hern, Abortion Practice, 1990, Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott Company