Q | Who are your doctors?
A | Our physicians, and other clinicians, are highly skilled professionals who specialize in abortion care.
Q | Is it safe?
A | Abortion is one of the safest types of medical procedures. Complications from having a first trimester abortion are considerably less frequent and less serious than those associated with giving birth.
Q | Why is it so expensive?
A | The fee covers the procedure itself, the ultrasound, all lab tests, an exam, our private consultation, and birth control. It also covers the follow-up appointment.
Q | Why is medical abortion or surgical abortion better?
A | Medical and surgical abortion are both safe and effective methods to end a pregnancy. Neither is better than the other. The process involved is different. Some women will prefer one over the other and some women might have medical conditions that would result in her provider recommending one over the other.
Q | Will it hurt?/I am afraid of how much it will hurt?
A | Different women feel different things. Some feel almost nothing; others say there is significant cramping. Most are somewhere in between. What is true for most patients is that the procedure is very quick. Some women feel like they are having sudden strong menstrual cramps. For most women the cramping subsides shortly after the procedure.
Q | Is there a difference between the morning-after
pill and the abortion pill?
A | Yes. The morning-after pill (also known as Emergency Contraception, EC, Preven, or Plan B) prevents pregnancy and does not cause an abortion. It prevents fertilization of an egg or attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterine wall. The abortion pill (also known as RU-486, medical abortion, Mifeprex®, or mifepristone) terminates an already established pregnancy when used in combination with another medication.
Q | How soon can I have an abortion?
A | We understand that once the decision is made to terminate a pregnancy delays can be difficult or stressful. We offer surgical abortion as early as four weeks into the pregnancy and make every effort to schedule the surgery to suit your convenience.
Q | How quickly can I be seen?
A | We can usually schedule your initial consultation within a day of your call.
Q | How many visits are required?
A | We schedule most of our patients
for shorter appointments on two different days. If you prefer
to have the consultation and the surgery on the same day, this
can be arranged, depending on how advanced your pregnancy is.
A medical abortion requires at least two visits, and sometimes
more.
Q | How long will I be at the clinic?
A | The consultation visit usually takes between 1 to 2 hours. On the day of your abortion, you should plan to be at the clinic between 2 and 3 hours. Patients having later abortions must remain in the clinic longer, usually between 4 and 5 hours. Because we offer each woman individualized care, it’s possible that at times we will run behind schedule. We will do everything we can to make sure your appointment is not delayed.
Q | Do you offer counseling services?
A | Our staff provide basic
counseling/education and support about your pregnancy and birth
control options, but are happy to provide you with referral information
for more extensive counseling. We recommend ACCESS
http://www.whrc-access.org/
for patients who would like some counseling before their
appointment with us. Exhale http://www.4exhale.org/
, a toll-free hotline (1-866-4 EXHALE),
to our patients who might need someone to talk to about their
feelings after having an abortion.
Q | Where can I learn more about abortion?
A | The National Abortion Federation http://www.prochoice.org/ website is an excellent resource for information on various topics related to abortion services. |
