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Abortion (termination of a pregnancy) |
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Abortion is the surgical termination of a pregnancy and is a safe procedure when performed by a doctor in a hospital or clinic. The procedure is usually performed between six and twelve weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, later abortions may be performed after assessment by a doctor. Abortion is lawful provided it is performed with the consent of the woman and by a qualified doctor. The doctor (or in some parts of Australia, two doctors) must have an honest belief based on reasonable grounds that the woman would suffer threat to her life, or physical or mental health if the pregnancy were to proceed. The decision is based on medical, economic and social factors.
The procedure can be done under local or general anaesthetic, or local anaesthetic with sedation given by injection. Sedation induces sleepiness and most women will not remember anything afterwards. A doctor inserts an instrument into the cervix (entrance to the uterus) and uses gentle suction to remove the contents of the uterus. A curette is then used to ensure that the uterus is empty. The procedure takes about ten minutes. Afterwards, the woman is allowed to go home when she is assessed as being stable. There may be some cramping, bleeding and feelings of fatigue, so it is advised that a partner or friend be available to take her home to recover. There is potential risk involved with any type of surgical procedure and for abortion this includes: - Infection -antibiotics are prescribed to minimise this risk, and women are advised to take showers, not baths, and not to swim, have sex, or use tampons for two weeks afterwards to reduce the possibility of introducing infection into the area. If infection does occur, prompt treatment will usually ensure that it doesn't affect future fertility.
- Heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain or fever can occur for a number or reasons including infection, perforation of the uterus or retained products. If this happens, see your doctor.
Counselling is part of the process when a woman seeks an abortion and feelings of grief and sadness, as well as relief, are normal after an abortion. Sometimes, if feelings of distress are great, a woman should seek further counselling. Whilst most women do not suffer any long-term emotional problems, research suggests that if the woman feels pressure by others when making the decision, she may be more likely to have some difficulties afterwards. Most women need the opportunity to carefully think through their choices and they need support when they have made their decision. Information about abortion can be obtained from your doctor, women's health centre or FPA Health clinic (formerly known as Family Planning Clinics) or from services listed in the Yellow Pages of the phone directory under Pregnancy Termination Services. If you require more health information in a language other than English, look at the Multicultural website http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au Article #8001 Copyright (c) 2002 McKesson. All Rights Reserved. |
