FAQ's

 

Q. Do you offer blood pregnancy tests?
A. We do not offer blood pregnancy tests, only urine tests.

Q: Do you offer ultrasounds?
A. We do not offer ultrasounds at our facility.

Q. How accurate is the urine test?
A. The urine test, according to the manufacturer's label, is 99% accurate.

Q. Do you prescribe the Morning After Pill?
A. We do not dispense any medication at our facility.

Q. How much are your services?
A. All of our services are free and confidential.

Q. Do I have to schedule an appointment?
A. Walk-ins are welcome, but we encourage clients to schedule an appointment.

Q. Can I bring anyone with me?
A. You may bring anyone you choose to. We encourage you to bring the father of the baby, a close friend, and/or your mother, if you like.

Q. What are some stages of fetal development?
A. Fetal Development

Day 1: At the very moment of conception, a new and unique individual is formed.
Week 4: The heart is beating.
Week 5: Arms, legs and eyes make their appearance.
Week 6: The first brain waves can be detected.
Week 9: The body is nearly complete and about the size of a thumb. Every organ es present and functioning. Changes after the ninth week are primarily changes in size, rather than appearance.
Week 13: The fetus moves vigorously and can make a tight fist. The mother will not be able to feel movement until the fourth or fifth month. The fetus can now experience pain.
Month 5: The fetus can swim and turn somersaults.
Month 6: If the baby were born during this month and given special care, he or she could survive.

Q. What types of abortion procedures are there?
A. Abortion Procedures

The “Morning After Pill” (Plan B)
If a sexually active woman is concerned that she may have conceived in the last 24 hours, a physician may order a multiplied dose of birth control pills. The high levels of hormones make the womb inhospitable for the fertilized egg.

RU 486 (Mifepristone or Mifeprex) (5-9 weeks)
RU 486 is combination of two drugs, mifepristone or mifeprex, that causes an early abortion. The drug is taken after the mother misses her period, so it does not prevent fertilization or implantation. RU 486 does not give the “private abortion” that is advertised. There are at least two and possibly three or four trips to the abortionist. Moreover, the woman does not know exactly when her dead baby is going to be expelled. Profuse bleeding is not uncommon, along with intense pain.

Suction Curettage or Vacuum Aspiration (up to 12 weeks)
This is the most common method of performing first trimester abortions. It takes 5-10 minutes and rarely requires more than a local anesthetic. This method is most commonly done in an outpatient clinic. This cervix is hard, because it is intended to secure the baby; it is, nonetheless, dilated. Then a hollow, plastic tube with a knife on the end is inserted. This tube is attached to an aspirator machine, similar to the one dentists use to clear the mouth of saliva. When suction is applied, the baby is torn from the uterus and sucked into a jar. The abortionist then scrapes and sucks out the placenta. If the baby is 10 weeks or older, recognizable human baby parts often can be seen.

D & E (Dilatation and Evacuation) (12-24 weeks)
Because the bones of the fetus are larger by this time, the baby is pulled apart with a pliers-like instrument, piece by piece. At this stage, the baby's bones are calcified so the skill must be crushed and the spine snapped in order to get the baby out. There is no anesthesia for the baby. The dilation process in this procedure is more complicated and can take 1-2 days, through the use of laminaria (a type of seaweed that expands when moist). D&E is a more difficult procedure than a vacuum aspiration. There is often bleeding and discomfort and the chances of complications rise considerably.

Prostaglandin Abortion (2nd trimester)
This drug can be administered directly into the uterus, like saline, or given in a vaginal suppository or by intramuscular injection. Prostaglandins, similar to oxytocin, induce uterine contractions. The “complication” of live births increases with the use of this hormone.

Hysterotomy (2nd and 3rd trimester)
This method is the same as a Cesarean section. The baby is removed and allowed to die by neglect or sometimes killed by a direct act, such as drowning or suffocation.

D & X (Dilation and Extraction) (“Partial Birth Abortion”)
This form of abortion is used in third trimester pregnancies. The physician turns the baby into a feet first delivery position. The baby is extracted except for the head. Scissors are inserted into base of the baby's skull and spread to enlarge the wound. A suction catheter is inserted into the wound and the entire contents of the baby's head are sucked out until the skull collapses. The now dead baby is delivered. Partial birth abortions are performed only to ensure a dead baby.

Q. What are some of the risks if I choose to have an abortion?
A. Risks:

Physical Risks
Hemorrhage
Women sometimes will bleed heavily a few days after their abortion. Sometimes it is necessary to do a second curettage procedure or a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding.
Infection
A uterus is susceptible to infection right after an abortion. Symptoms are pain and fever. This can be treated with antibiotics but sometimes another procedure must be used. If untreated, a very serious infection can develop and could result in infertility.
Perforation
Sometimes the tools of abortion are accidentally pushed through the wall of the uterus during an abortion. If the instrument damages one of your internal organs, it maybe be necessary to do major surgery to repair the damage.
Effects on Later Pregnancy
Severe injury to the cervix may occur and could result in the early loss of a later wanted pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage in later pregnancies is higher if a woman has had two or more abortions.
Continues Pregnancy
The fetus may be growing in your fallopian tube rather than in your uterus. An abortion procedure would miss this and the continued growth of the fetus in your tube is dangerous.
Death
Although this is rare, death has occurred after abortion. When abortion is done after the first three months of pregnancy, the risk of death increases. The cause of death by abortion is usually from heavy bleeding or from complications with anesthesia (the drugs used to help relieve pain).

 

Emotional Risks
Some women experience an immediate feeling of relief following an abortion, but many find themselves later coping with feeling they did not expect. They may have a difficult time talking about these feelings. Some psychologist have labeled these problems as Post Abortion Stress.

Sadness
Depression
Long-term grief reactions
Anger
Loneliness
Confusion
Sexual dysfunction
Guilt
Nightmares
Memory repressions
Anniversary reactions
Hallucinations
Suicidal ideas
Increased alcohol and drug use
Difficulty with intimacy
[If you are thinking of having an abortion you will want to weigh the emotional as well as physical risks]

 

 

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