Induced abortion:

Out of almost 35 million abortions, which take place annually in the world, more than half of them are illegal and performed by untrained, unskilled personnel under highly unhygienic conditions.

Abortion in the first three months of pregnancy

Menstrual aspiration (MR)

• Surgical methods in the first three months
   
• Medical methods

The main drugs used today are a group of drugs known as prostaglandin, which can be used orally or through injection intramuscularly / intravenously, or vaginally. These drugs are used by themselves or in combination with other drugs.

1. The methotrexate – misoprostol method: A woman receives an injection of methotrexate. Between five to seven days later she returns and inserts suppositories of misoprostol into her vagina.
    
2. The mifepristone – misoprostol method: Mifepristone also known, as RU-486 is an antiprogesterone. A woman swallows a dose of mifepristone. She returns in five to seven days and inserts suppositories of misoprostol into her vagina.

Risks:

• Mifepristone, Methotrexate and misoprostol cause nausea and diarrhoea.
   
• Incomplete abortion may require surgical evacuation.
   
• Heavy bleeding may continue up to 7 days.

What are the complications from legal abortion?

Possible complications from a surgical abortion procedure include:

• Blood clots accumulating in the uterus, requiring another suctioning procedure, which occurs in less than 1% of cases;
   
• Infections, most of which are easily identified and treated if the woman carefully observes instructions, which occur in less than 3% of cases;
   
• Tear in the cervix, which may be repaired with stitches, which occurs in less than 1% of cases;
   
• Perforation in of the wall of the uterus and/or other organs, which might heal on its own or require surgical repair or, rarely, hysterectomy, which occurs in less than 1/2 of 1% of cases;
   
• Missed abortion, which does not end the pregnancy and requires the abortion to be repeated, which occurs less than 1/2 of 1% of cases;
   
• Incomplete abortion, in which the tissue from the pregnancy remains in the uterus, and requires the abortion to be repeated, which occurs in less than 1% of cases;
   
• Excessive bleeding caused by failure of the uterus to contract, which might require blood transfusion that occurs in less than 1% of cases.

What are the signs of a Post - Abortion Complication?

If a woman has any of the following symptoms after an abortion, she should contact the facility that provided the abortion immediately:

• Severe pain;
   
• Chills or fever with a temperature of 100.4 0F or more;
   
• Bleeding that is heavier than the heaviest day of her normal menstrual period or that soaks through more than one sanitary pad in an hour;
   
• Foul-smelling discharge from her vagina
   
• Continuing symptoms of pregnancy.

How to prevent complications?

Women can certain things to lower their risks of complications. The most important thing is not to delay the abortion procedure. After six weeks from LMP, the earlier the abortion, the safer it is.

It's important to ask. Just as with any medical procedure, the more relaxed a person is and the more she understands what to expect, the better and safer her experience will be.

In addition, any woman choosing abortion should:

• Find a good clinic or a qualified, licensed practitioner
   
• Inform the practitioner of any health problems, current medications or; allergies to medications or anaesthetics;
   
• Follow post-operative instructions;
   
• Return for a follow-up examination.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

Embryo