How Pregnant Can You Be To Get An Abortion

How To Calculate The Length Of Your Pregnancy

Self-Managed Abortion: How to Know if You Are Pregnant | Episode 1

In order to understand which options are available, youll need to know how long youve been pregnant. Pregnancies are usually dated according to when you had your last period. Although the conception actually takes place a couple of weeks later than this , its much easier to count from your period than from ovulation.

You probably dont know exactly when you ovulated as there arent any obvious signs. It can depend on the length and regularity of your menstrual cycle. Ovulation usually happens around day 10-12, but it can be several days sooner or later than this. It can also be difficult to know when you had the sex that led to conception, even if you do know when you were ovulating. The egg is available for about 24 hours, but sperm can survive for five days or more. Any sex you had in the week before ovulation could therefore be responsible for the pregnancy.

Since we dont usually know when the conception happened, we date pregnancies from the start of the menstrual cycle instead. The first day of your period is considered the first day of your cycle. The first day of the period before you conceived is also considered the first day of your pregnancy. By the time you miss your first period, you will therefore be about 4 weeks pregnant.

How Early Or Late Can You Get An Abortion The Abortion Timeline

Every year approximately 600,000 women in the United States choose to have an abortion, according to the Center for Disease Control. More than half of the total number of women who have obtained an abortion, a full sixty-percent, are already mothers. Yet, abortion can often feel like a lonely and complicated decision.

Here to make it just a little easier, in many regards, is this abortion timeline. It will help to answer the most definitive question of, How late can you get an abortion? but also, How soon can you get an abortion? So if youre wondering when can you get an abortion, read on.

Heres what you need to know: The most basic answer.

In most states, abortion is an option up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Some states cap their restriction at 20-22 weeks gestation.

Unless a physician or state law prohibits, you are able to receive abortion services as soon as pregnancy is confirmed.

Abortion procedures performed in the late stages of the second trimester and throughout the third are typically performed due to complications with the fetus or the mother.

Information on abortion laws in your state can be found at the Guttmacher Institute. Now, more below on the specifics of each method.

If Youre More Than 24 Weeks Pregnant

After 24 weeks of pregnancy, you can only get a D& E procedure or induction abortion.

Often, healthcare professionals will only recommend an induction abortion if you cant get a D& E. That said, this is done on a case-by-case basis.

If you prefer to have an induction abortion, which allows the fetus to be delivered intact, talk with a healthcare professional.

Other reasons for getting an induction abortion include:

  • which procedures are available at the medical facility
  • the gestational age of the pregnancy
  • your individual medical history

Also Check: How Long After Your Period You Can Get Pregnant

How Do Tablets Work To Terminate A Pregnancy Before 7 Weeks

For abortion with pills, there are two sets of tablets to be taken. The first pill is mifepristone. It blocks the action of certain hormones that are important for the pregnancy.

After 48 hours the second set of tablets i.e. misoprostol is given. These start of uterine cramping and bleeding. One may also have nausea, vomiting and a few loose motions. The products of conception pass out in the bleeding over the next few days. This bleeding can be heavy with clots. One could have bleeding for about 7 to 10 days.

Also Check: Can I Use Vagisil Cream While Pregnant

Why Do Women Have Abortions

How late can you have an abortion in UK?

There are many reasons why a woman might choose to have an abortion. Deciding to have an abortion is a deeply personal choice and in many cases, a very difficult decision to make.

For example, the pregnancy may be unplanned and the womans personal circumstances might make it difficult or impossible to raise a child. These reasons could include financial considerations, being in an abusive relationship, where assault is involved, not being the right time, or the woman may not want to have a baby.

Some women may discover there is something wrong with their baby or that continuing with the pregnancy may put their own health at risk.

Whatever the reason a woman decides to terminate a pregnancy, the choice is hers to make.

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How Late Is Too Late To Have An Abortion

When can you get an abortion? When is it too late? How long do I have to decide? Find answers to all your abortion time limit questions here:

It can be difficult to decide how to respond to an unplanned pregnancy and if you are thinking about abortion, there is a limited window of time to make your decision.

This may leave you wondering: When is it too late to have an abortion? When are most abortions performed?

Abortion time limits can be complex and may vary based on a number of factors, including the method of abortion a woman is seeking, her states laws, and her individual circumstances. Here, learn more about when to get an abortion.

How Early Can You Get An Abortion

Unless your residence state or clinic prohibits, you can enjoy abortion services once you confirm being pregnant. Nonetheless, the earliest abortion is performed between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy. This time frame varies not only from one state to another, but the medical personnels experience.

Although abortion can be carried out earlier, the 4-6 week duration is typically when a woman starts experiencing pregnancy signs, with missing a period usually being the first symptom. An ultrasound and pregnancy test generally confirm pregnancy and are generally performed and in many cases required before to determine both the precise gestational age of pregnancy, but the most suitable abortion procedure to use.

In case you are less than ten weeks pregnant, the medical abortion process is the most likely procedure that will be used for termination of pregnancy in the U.S. and many parts of the world.

The majority of abortions are performed within the initial ten weeks of a pregnancy. The earlier an abortion is performed, the process is safer, easier, associated with less complications or side effects and the most cost-efficient.

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Safe Abortion Access For All In New York State

  • Abortion access is available for New Yorkers and for those coming from outside of New York State. You do not have to be a New York State resident to receive care here.
  • Medication abortion and in-clinic abortion is available in New York State. You can speak to a provider about your options, and your privacy will be protected every step of the way.
  • In New York, you can get an abortion up to and including 24 weeks of pregnancy. After 24 weeks, you can still get an abortion if your health or pregnancy is at risk.

Positive Pregnancy Test After Abortion

Self-Managed Abortion: How Many Weeks Pregnant Am I? | Episode 2

Youve had miscarriage or abortion, using an abortion pill or a surgical procedure a few weeks ago, and you still have your pregnancy test positive. In this case, you should consult your health provider, who will indeed check out the hCG level in your blood and urine. If your blood pregnancy test comes back positive, these are your options:

  • Incomplete Miscarriage

In this specific case, there is still some pregnancy tissue leftover in your uterus. However, it doesnt mean your pregnancy is continuing or is viable. Instead, it could mean that youll need another minor surgical procedure called D& C to remove products of conception, which are mostly small pieces of placenta. Your body would probably deal with it for some time, but it will stop bleeding sooner with the surgical procedure.

If you wanted to know, can you be pregnant again after the abortion, the answer is definitely yes. If you have been sexually active after miscarriage or abortion without using any contraception method, you can be pregnant again. Many women dont actually know this, but they can become pregnant during the first cycle after this procedure. Just remember, if you are not trying to become pregnant right after that, you should use contraception to prevent it, even if you might hear some stories about how abortion can affect your future pregnancies. Its not true- surgical or medical abortion can not affect your fertility.

Read Also: What Is The Best Way To Get Pregnant Fast

Critics Fear Abortion Bans Could Jeopardize Health Of Pregnant Women

The 17 states that ban abortion after 20 weeks make exceptions to protect the life or health of the woman. But doctors and reproductive health advocates worry such exceptions are so vague or narrow that abortion providers are unlikely to invoke themespecially if they fear they could be charged with a crime.

In a country that has long lagged its peers in maternal mortality, many reproductive health providers warn that stricter abortion laws are likely to make the situation worseespecially for Black women, who die of pregnancy-related causes at nearly three times the rate of White women.

Doctors have said it puts them in an untenable position where they have to base decisions on their legal liability, which shouldnt be a consideration at all, said Shaina Goodman, director for reproductive health and rights at the National Partnership for Women and Families. At what point is the life of the mother at risk, when shes coding on the table?

Several scientific studies in the past two years have noted that abortion bans will likely increase maternal mortality. A University of Colorado study in 2021, for example, found that a total ban on the procedure could increase pregnancy-related deaths up to 21% overall and up to 33% for Black women.

Condoms + Birth Control = Extra Protection

Condoms are your safer sex superhero: theyre the only way to get protection from pregnancy and STDs during vaginal sex.

No birth control method is perfect. So using condoms with another type of birth control gives you backup protection in case either method fails. And condoms seriously lower your chances of getting all kinds of sexually transmitted infections, like HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes.

Another great thing about condoms is that you can get them almost anywhere, like drugstores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. Condoms dont cost a lot of money, and sometimes theyre even free at community clinics, school health centers, or Planned Parenthood health centers.

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Abortion Timeline: Abortion Procedures By Trimester

The timing of a womans abortion decision can affect her abortion experience. Below, find information about what to expect during first, second, and third trimester abortions.

  • 1st Trimester Abortion: First trimester abortion refers to any abortion completed within the first 12 weeks of a womans pregnancy. This early stage abortion typically gives women the most options, including medical and surgical methods. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 89 percent of abortions occur within the first trimester, with one-third of abortions taking place before the sixth week of pregnancy.
  • 2nd Trimester Abortion: Second trimester abortions generally take place between 1220 weeks into a womans pregnancy. However, second trimester abortion is much less common than abortion during the first trimester according to the Centers for Disease Control, only 7 percentof abortions are performed at 1420 weeks gestation. Medical abortions are not an option after the first trimester dilation and evacuation, or D& E abortion, is the most common second trimester abortion procedure.

How Do States Regulate Abortions Later In Pregnancy

Pregnancy And Abortion : Your Choice

A few states have sought to expand access to abortions later in pregnancy. The New York Reproductive Health Act enacted in January 2019 expands protections for abortion providers and pregnant individuals who have abortions after 24 weeks in cases of health or life endangerment or lethal fetal anomalies.Virginia similarly proposed loosening restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy, by reducing the number of physicians who would need to approve an abortion after 28 weeks gestation from three to one, and by broadening maternal exceptions to include more general threats to mental and physical health. This bill failed to pass, but sparked national discussion about regulation of abortions later in pregnancy.

Many states have directed their efforts in the opposite direction, aiming to increase restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy. States most often do so by placing gestational age limits on abortion, and/or restricting the methods providers can use to perform abortions later in pregnancy. In discussion of these laws, it is important to note that most policymakers are not clinicians, therefore many of the terms used to discuss abortions later in pregnancy are designed to communicate a political message, not a precise medical concept. In the Appendix, we mention several terms written into policy and the law so that readers may be familiar with their meaning, but they are not medical terms.

Abortion bans by gestational age

Fetal Pain

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Administering The Pills Vaginally Or Orally

The abortion pill can be administered vaginally, buccally or sublingually .

Melissa Grant, chief operations officer of carafem Health Center, said each method is safe and effective and allows the the pill to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Daniel Grossman, MD, director of the research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California San Francisco, told Verywell that people who are at later stages of pregnancy may want to consider the oral route for legal reasons.

What If Youre Not Sure

Working out how long youve been pregnant isnt always easy. If you dont keep track of when your period starts or you have an irregular cycle, you might not know when to start counting from. You might still be able to estimate how long youve been pregnant if you know about when you had your last period. You might remember having it during a particular occasion or know how many weeks youve been wondering where your period is.

However, there is a way you can find out for sure how far along you are. When you visit a private abortion clinic, the doctor can perform an ultrasound scan to check on the pregnancy. The scan can confirm that you are pregnant, rule out issues such as ectopic pregnancy, and give you an accurate date for the pregnancy.

Even if you know when your last period started, it can still be a good idea to get confirmation from the scan. How long youve been pregnant will determine which types of abortion are suitable for you, so its important to find out for sure.

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Emotions After Abortion: What Can Help

Having an abortion can bring up all sorts of emotions from relief to anger and sadness and everything in between sometimes all at once.

Dr. Flanagan offers some reassurance about those boomerang feelings that might crop up. Any emotion you experience is normal, she says. And at different times throughout the process, you may experience widely different emotions. Again, thats normal.

Some women and people who menstruate benefit from talking to someone. Getting support is a personal choice, but its likely better for your emotional and physical recovery to have the support of someone you trust. This can come from family, friends, therapy, or your health care provider, says Dr. Flanagan. You could also look online for forums and support groups where people whove had an abortion can share their experiences in a safe space.

Comparison Of The Risks And Side Effects

How I Had an Abortion at Home in Texas | NYT Opinion
Medical Abortion
Is there a risk of injury to my body? No instruments or suction will be used, so you will not be exposed to the chance of cervical injury and uterine perforation that rarely occur with surgical abortion.
Is there a risk of infection? There is a small likelihood of infection after suction curettage abortion. You will be given antibiotics, which, if taken as directed, will reduce the chance that you will get an infection. There is a very small likelihood of infection after medical abortion. We usually do not recommend antibiotics to prevent infection.
What should I do if I have pain during the procedure? A member of our staff will be with you during your whole procedure and will monitor you during the recovery. The doctors and medical assistants will manage your side effects, such as cramping or excessive bleeding, immediately as they occur. Since you will be at home during the actual abortion process, you take on more responsibility for your own care. We will give you written instructions on managing side effects and phone numbers to call for questions or concerns.
Will I be able to have children in the future? There are no indications that suction curettage abortion affects a patients ability to have a baby when she is ready. There are no indications that medical abortion affects a patients ability to have a baby when she is ready.

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