If you look up abortion online or talk to your friends, you’ll likely hear a lot of conflicting information. With so many details floating around, it can be difficult to sort through it all to determine what’s true or false.
This is why we’ve compiled the methods, myths, and realities of abortion for you. Read on to learn the essentials you need to know to combat misinformation and be as informed as possible. Or, if you want to talk to someone about your pregnancy options and learn about complementary resources, contact Women’s Care Center today.
Abortion Methods: How Does It Work?
There are two abortion methods, and each works differently.
Medical abortion (also known as the “abortion pill”) involves taking two powerful drugs at home. The first drug, mifepristone, blocks progesterone, a hormone that’s needed to sustain a pregnancy. Without it, your pregnancy will end. The second drug, misoprostol, causes uterine contractions that expel the pregnancy through your uterus and out through your vagina.
Surgical abortion is done in a clinic, and it involves dilating your cervix so that medical instruments (like scraping tools and strong suction) can enter your uterus to remove the pregnancy.
Fact-Checking: Abortion Myths vs. Realities
Conflicting information about abortion can make you feel confused about the reality of terminating your pregnancy—and rightly so! This is why we’ve compiled the most common myths about abortion to help set the record straight.
Myth 1: The abortion drugs are safer than Tylenol.
Reality: The abortion drugs are powerful and come with potentially serious risks to your health. The most serious of these risks include incomplete abortion, which can lead to a life-threatening infection or prolonged bleeding.
Myth 2: The pain that happens after taking the abortion drugs feels similar to a period.
Reality: While every woman’s pain tolerance is unique, some women have found the pain that follows a medical abortion to be unexpectedly excruciating—and they didn’t feel prepared to handle it.
Myth 3: Abortion will make the problems that come along with an unplanned pregnancy go away.
Reality: While some women feel immediate relief after an abortion, other women go on to experience adverse mental health outcomes afterward.
We’re Here for You
Navigating your pregnancy options can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone in this. At Women’s Care Center, we’re here for you. We offer medically accurate facts about abortion and your other pregnancy options because we believe that you deserve to be fully informed.
Contact us today to schedule your complimentary appointment and learn about all the ways we’re here to support you.