Pregnancy Care Center (PCC)
does not perform or refer for abortion. PCC does, however, want all women to be fully informed
should they be considering abortion.
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Springfield
Branch:
1342 E. Primrose, Ste. C
Springfield, MO 65804
(East of Cox South)
417-877-0800 |
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E-mail address
services@pccchoices.com
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The Power to Choose… Equals a Right to Know
The method of abortion used will depend on the woman’s physical condition and the stage of the pregnancy. Most abortion procedures take place during the first trimester, the first 14 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period.
Abortion Procedures
 Abortion Procedures - Non-Surgical
Abortion Procedures - Surgical
Abortion Procedures - Non-Surgical or Medical Abortions
“Morning After Pill”: Taken up to 72 hours after intercourse
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Large dose of the same hormones
that are in birth control
pills- progesterone, estrogen,
or a combination of the
two |
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Prescribed by a physician, 2 pills taken 12 hours apart 1 |
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3 possible
outcomes: |
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Can prevent ovulation, the release of egg |
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Can prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus by causing a thinning of the uterine lining 2,3,4 |
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Alteration of normal menstrual cycle by delaying ovulation |
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Methotrexate (MTX) & Misoprostol: 0-7 weeks
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Requires 3 visits to the doctor or abortion clinic |
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1st Visit- Receive an injection of methotrexate, which attacks the rapidly developing cells of the growing embryo to prevent them from multiplying, and separates the fetus and the placenta from the uterine lining. |
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2nd Visit (5-7 days later) - Misoprostol tablets are given orally or suppositories are inserted into the vagina to make the cervix dilate and the uterus contract to expel the fetus from the body. The process may take a few days. |
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3rd Visit (1 week later) - Physical exam to ensure the abortion was complete and to check for complications as a result of the abortion. |
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| * IMPORTANT* Methotrexate is a drug created to fight cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and has not been approved by the FDA for abortions. 1,5 |
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RU-486: 7-9 weeks
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Requires 3 visits to the doctor or abortion clinic. |
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1st Visit- Receive an injection or an oral dose of Mifepristone to soften and break down the uterine lining- may cause contractions that expel the fetus from the body. |
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2nd Visit (5-7 days later) - If the fetus has not been expelled, misoprostol tablets are given orally or suppositories are inserted into the vagina to make the cervix dilate and the uterus contract and expel the fetus from the body. The process may take up to 2 weeks. |
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3rd Visit (1 week later) - Physical exam to ensure the abortion was complete, and the fetus has been expelled from the body. If the procedure is not complete, the doctor will surgically remove the fetus. 1,5 |
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Abortion Procedures- Surgical Abortions
Manual Vacuum Aspiration: 0-7 weeks
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Lie flat on back with feet in stirrups; doctor applies a shot of a local anesthetic and/or misoprostol to reduce pain. |
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The cervical muscle is stretched with dilators (metal rods) until the opening is wide enough for the abortion instruments to enter the uterus. |
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A plastic tube attached to a hand-held syringe is inserted into the uterus and the growing embryo and placenta is suctioned out. |
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Procedure takes 10-15 minutes initial, recovery may take a few hours.6 |
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Suction Aspiration or Suction Curettage: 6-14 weeks
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Similar procedure to the manual vacuum aspiration; however, once the cervix has been stretched with dilators, tenaculum is used to hold the cervix in place for the procedure. |
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A suction cannula, which is a long plastic tube attached to the vacuum aspiration machine, is inserted into the uterus. |
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The suction force from the machine loosens the placenta and fetus away from the uterine wall, pulls the fetus' body apart, and sucks the placenta and fetus out of the uterus. |
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The cannula is manually rotated by the doctor during the procedure to ensure that all of the fetus and placenta are removed from the uterus. |
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Procedure lasts 10-15 minutes; however, recovery may take a few
hours. 1,5,6 |
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Dilation and Curettage (D&C) 6-15 weeks
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Same beginning procedure as the aspiration methods. |
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Once the cervix has been dilated, a loop-shaped knife called a curette is inserted into the uterus to cut the fetus and placenta into smaller parts and used to detach the placenta from the uterine lining. |
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The fetal and placenta parts and other tissue are then scraped out of the woman’s body through the cervix. A cannula may be inserted for final suctioning. |
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Procedure lasts 10-15 minutes; however, recovery is typically 5 hours. 1,5,6 |
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Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) 13-24 weeks
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24 hours prior to procedure, doctor will insert laminaria (a type of seaweed that expands when wet) or a synthetic dilator into the cervix to begin the dilation process. |
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To begin the procedure, a tenaculum is clamped to the cervix to hold it in place and dilators of various sizes are inserted into the cervix to stretch it to the necessary size for the procedure. |
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A cannula is inserted to begin removing the fetus and placenta away from the uterine wall and a curette is used to scrape away any tissue still attached to the uterine wall. |
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Forceps are inserted into the uterus to pull out fetal parts, and the fetal skull is crushed to ease removal. Towards the end of the second trimester, long curved Mayo scissors may be necessary to decapitate and dismember the fetus for easier removal. |
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A cannula is re-inserted for a final suctioning to ensure all fetal and placenta parts have been removed. |
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Procedure takes approximately 30 minutes, and fetal parts are examined and reassembled to make sure the abortion was complete. Recovery time may take up to 2 weeks. 1,5,6 |
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Dilation and Extraction (D&X or Partial Birth Abortion): after 21 weeks
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Two days before the procedure, laminaria is inserted vaginally into the cervix to begin dilation |
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On the third day the woman’s water will break and ultrasound is used to locate the lower extremities of the fetus. The fetus is rotated for proper placement to begin procedure. |
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Forceps are used to grasp and pull the legs, arms and shoulders through the birth canal, lodging the skull at the cervical opening. |
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A small incision is made at the base of the skull and a suction catheter is inserted to empty the contents of the skull until the skull collapses. |
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The fetus is then completely removed from the woman’s body. 1,5 |
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| 1. |
americanpregnancy.org/unplannedpregnancy/medicalabortions.html |
| 2. |
morningafterpill.org |
| 3. |
The National Women’s Health Information Center, “Frequently Asked Questions about Emergency Contraception,” November, 2002. |
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| 4. |
Frontlines Publishing, “Making An Informed Decision About Pregnancy,” 2000. |
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| 5. |
CareNet, “Serving with Care and Integrity: A Training Resource for Pregnancy Center Volunteers,” 2003. |
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| 6. |
FOTF, “Who Wins Who Loses: Facts about the ‘Morning After’ Pill,” 2002.
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