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Your Options

Abortion Education

Abortion Education is for informational purposes only. We do not provide, recommend, or refer for abortion. 

Before You Get an Abortion Procedure:

1.  Confirm Your Pregnancy:  Before getting any type of abortion, you first need to know if you are actually pregnant. Even if you have pregnancy symptoms or have taken a home test, you may want help verifying your pregnancy by a physician. HCG levels can be elevated for various reasons. Heritage Health for Women can provide a limited OB ultrasound at no cost to confirm the viability of your pregnancy and to determine how far along you are.

2. Get An Ultrasound:  An ultrasound is an important next step.  Different abortion methods are used at different stages of pregnancy, each with associated risks to understand.  An ultrasound will tell you how many weeks pregnant you are, it will reveal cardiac activity, confirm that the baby is located in your uterus and not in your fallopian tube, or if you might naturally miscarry.

3. Get Tested For STDs:  It is important to get tested for STDs. Many women with STDs are asymptomatic and do not realize they are infected. Women who undergo a termination procedure with an untreated STD are up to 25% more likely to develop PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) following the abortion procedure. PID can lead to serious consequences including infertility, ectopic pregnancy, abscess formation and chronic pelvic pain.  Heritage Pregnancy and Family Health Center, Inc. does not currently offer STI testing but can provide resources that do provide this service.

Understanding Different Abortion Procedures

Different abortion methods are used to end pregnancy based on how far along you are. You deserve to know the facts and be fully informed. At the Heritage Health for Women, we take time to educate you on the different abortion methods. Our caring staff will help you understand what you can expect from each type of abortion procedure and present documented abortion risk factors so that you can make an informed decision. Make an appointment at with Heritage Health for Women today!

Abortion Pill (Medical Abortion)

Medical or non-surgical abortion uses RU-486 or other types of chemicals to terminate an early pregnancy. This method of termination is used up to 49 days after a woman's last menstrual period. Medical abortion may involve up to 3 office visits and may require a surgical procedure if the medical abortion is incomplete.  Risks include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, heavy bleeding, and maternal death most frequently from infection and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy. The failure rate increases as the pregnancy progresses.

Surgical Abortions

If you're not a candidate for a medical abortion or if the medical abortion fails, a surgical abortion would be necessary. As the name implies, a surgical abortion is a surgical procedure that removes the baby from the uterus (or womb) using surgical instruments. There are different types of surgical procedures and different methods (depending on how far along you are). Each procedure has increased associated risks. Risks include injury to uterus or cervix, uterine perforation, cervical lacerations, hemorrhage, infection, maternal death, future pregnancy complications.

Additional information and animated video on surgical procedures, click here:

No One Can Decide for You.

When faced with an unintended pregnancy everyone wants to give their opinion about what you should do. But it's YOUR decision, and no one should decide for you. Our client advocates will provide the education and support you need to make an informed decision for yourself. No one can force you to terminate your pregnancy, even if you are a minor.

Questions to Ask if Seeking An Abortion

If you are considering getting an abortion, there are a lot of questions to think about before deciding what to do.

  • Am I really pregnant?

  • How far along in the pregnancy am I?

  • Do I have an STD?

  • What are my rights?

  • What are the risks?

  • What abortion methods can be used?

  • What happens after an abortion?

  • Are there other options available to me?

  • What if I have already had an abortion?

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