It’s hard to say how you would react physically to an abortion because every woman responds differently. There are specific side effects you can expect from every abortion, like bleeding and cramping. You can potentially experience certain risks, too, like an incomplete abortion or an infection.

It’s good you’re asking this question before moving forward. Be prepared by getting as much information as possible now.

What Are the Different Abortion Procedures?

There are two main types of abortion: medical and surgical. A medical abortion is also known as the abortion pill method. This process usually uses two abortion drugs to terminate a pregnancy.

Surgical abortions involve vacuum or suction, scraping tools, and possibly forceps. The abortion method you have is determined by how far along you are in your pregnancy.

The Physical Effects of the Abortion Pill

The FDA only approves abortion drugs through 10 weeks of pregnancy (70 days from the first day of your last period). The longer your pregnancy, the less effective the drugs become.

According to medical experts, side effects include the following:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache

These are the potential risks they list:

  • Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
  • An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
  • Heavy and prolonged bleeding
  • Infection
  • Fever
  • Digestive system discomfort

Allergies to the drugs, certain diseases, and the use of other medications could determine how you respond.

The Physical Effects of Surgical Abortion

The number of weeks you have been pregnant determines the extent of your abortion surgery. In the early weeks, you may only require vacuum or suction aspiration. Later pregnancies require the use of other medical instruments.

Surgical procedures often require general or local anesthesia, plus your cervix (the opening to the uterus) might need to be dilated (opened). Usually, you have less bleeding and milder cramping with a surgical procedure.

However, it is possible to experience uterine perforation (when a surgical tool pokes a hole in your uterus), infection, and heavier bleeding.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

Schedule a free appointment with a Pee Dee client advocate to discuss the procedures more thoroughly. Although we do not perform or refer for abortion, we will provide factual information about procedures, particularly the abortion pill.

Fill out our convenient and confidential online form or call (910) 997-3040. We’re here for you.