Until how many weeks does medication interruption last? Until how many weeks is it permissible to have an abortion? Methods of abortion and their features.

Artificial termination of pregnancy is always a difficult psychological test for a woman and stress for her body. And, if the time for medical termination of pregnancy is missed, a mini-abortion or, as it is also called, vacuum aspiration will be a fairly gentle method compared to curettage.

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Video about mini abortion

Many people call the termination of pregnancy with special abortion pills a medical mini-abortion, the consequences of which are most favorable for the woman’s reproductive health and her general condition. This type of abortion is suitable for those whose pregnancy does not exceed 63 days from the first day of the last menstrual period. If the pregnancy is longer, the abortion pill will not work. After all, with every day of gestation, the embryo is increasingly implanted into the wall of the uterus, and its membranes create a natural obstacle to outside interventions.

The first abortion pill taken in a doctor's office contains a special substance that blocks the corpus luteum from producing the pregnancy-preserving hormone progesterone. Without a sufficient concentration of progesterone in the body, pregnancy cannot develop normally, which is why it fades.

The second abortion pill, taken at home a couple of days after the first, causes contractions of the uterine muscles, which will push the frozen embryo and all its membranes out of its cavity. Medical abortion is effective in 97% of cases. In the remaining 3% of cases, abortion pills do not work, and the pregnancy will have to be removed surgically, since it cannot be preserved after exposure to the drug mifepristone, a component of these pills.

An alternative to medical termination of pregnancy would be a mini-abortion or vacuum aspiration, in which the embryo and its membranes are sucked out from the uterine cavity with a special instrument - a vacuum pump.

Nowadays, many women prefer a mini-abortion to terminate a pregnancy, and until what time it is done depends on the model of the vacuum aspirator that the clinic has in its arsenal.

Vacuum abortion in our country is allowed to be performed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but the optimal period for its implementation would be 5–6 weeks of gestation, while the fertilized egg is not firmly established in the endometrium lining the uterine wall.

At a later date, the vacuum pump may not cope with its task and leave fragments in the uterine cavity former embryo or its membranes. In this case, the abortion will have to be done again, but now using a curette, which will remove the remnants of the fertilized egg along with the entire endometrium.

After 12 weeks, any type of voluntary termination of pregnancy is prohibited.

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For women who, for various reasons, do not want to use contraception or who use interrupted intercourse as protection against unwanted pregnancy, it is important to familiarize themselves with how a mini-abortion is performed.

Since the procedure for medical abortion is given in the section above, we will now look at vacuum abortion.

Vacuum abortion is performed under general anesthesia in a clinic. This type of abortion is usually well tolerated by women and within a couple of hours after the abortion, patients go home. However, vacuum abortion requires preliminary preparation for its implementation. The vacuum aspiration procedure and its preparatory stages look like this:

• establishing the fact of pregnancy and its duration using ultrasound;
• exclusion of ectopic pregnancy;
• collection of laboratory test results confirming the absence of infections and inflammatory process in the pelvic organs;
• documenting the patient’s consent to the abortion;
• administration of anesthesia, local or general;
• installation of cervical dilators and uterine body fixators;
• insertion of a special catheter into the uterine cavity through its cervix to create negative pressure there;
• connecting a vacuum pump to separate the fertilized egg from the walls of the uterus and bring it out.

The procedure itself vacuum abortion takes no more than 10 minutes. After this, the patient will remain under observation for some time - about an hour - if local anesthesia was used and at least 2 hours - if general anesthesia was used. After vacuum aspiration sex life can be resumed no earlier than 3 weeks later, and 2 weeks after the procedure a control ultrasound should be done to assess the condition of the uterine cavity and exclude possible complications.

Both after medical abortion and after vacuum aspiration, the woman is prescribed antibiotic therapy to prevent the infectious process and take immunomodulatory drugs.

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Video about complications after abortion

A mini-abortion is an intervention in the natural process occurring in the body of a woman of childbearing age, so it is rarely possible to completely avoid consequences, both physical and psychological.

They can be serious or frivolous. Non-serious consequences, as a rule, go away on their own after some time, but serious complications require immediate medical attention. Symptoms of complications after a mini abortion include:

• severe bleeding with large clots that does not stop for 2.5 hours;
• bleeding without clots, but more than 12 hours after the end of the procedure;
• increased body temperature to low-grade levels and general malaise;
• severe pain in the lower abdomen that cannot be relieved by taking painkillers;
• body temperature above 38 degrees, which lasts more than 4 hours;
• the appearance of prolonged vomiting;
• bloating;
• tachycardia;
• unpleasant odor of vaginal discharge;
• swelling or redness of the external genitalia.

As you can see, the list of possible complications after a mini-abortion is quite impressive. In addition, some of their symptoms may not appear in the first days after an abortion, but later:

• bleeding lasting more than 2 weeks;
• absence of menstruation one and a half months after the abortion;
• depression.

Despite the fact that the risk of complications during a mini-abortion is minimal, their possible occurrence cannot be ruled out in any case. Therefore, all women, without exception, are recommended to contact the clinic for abortion services only as a last resort, when there are truly compelling reasons for refusing to give birth to a new life.

Modern methods of contraception are designed to reduce the number of abortions and, accordingly, their complications, which are often the causes of the development of secondary infertility.

Not every pregnancy these days ends in the birth of a child. About five out of ten women who learn about their new situation decide to have an abortion. It is worth noting that an interruption can be performed in several ways. For each representative of the fairer sex, an individual approach is chosen taking into account health status, age and stage of pregnancy. This article will tell you about what a pill abortion is. Until how many weeks of fetal development it is carried out - you will find out further. It is also worth informing about the consequences that this procedure has.

Tablet abortion - what is it?

Medical termination of pregnancy is a method of stopping the vital activity of the fetus with subsequent expulsion from the uterus. Doctors say that this is one of the most gentle methods of abortion.

For such an effect, special drugs are selected. It is worth noting that it is impossible to purchase them yourself. To do this, you must have a prescription from a doctor. Tablet abortion is performed exclusively within the walls of a hospital. In this case, the patient must take the medications in the presence of doctors.

Drugs and their action

To terminate a pregnancy using this method, medications containing mifepristone are used. These include Mifegin, Miropristol, Mifeprex and others. These hormonal agents affect the reproductive organ, pituitary gland and ovaries. Mifepristone blocks the production of progesterone. Because of this, the fertilized egg containing the embryo dies. After this, pregnancy can no longer develop. These drugs also increase the sensitivity of the inner layer of the uterus to oxytocin. As a result, a gradual reduction of the reproductive organ begins. How does a pill abortion happen next?

Some time after the destruction of the fertilized egg, the woman needs to take prostaglandins or their analogues. Such medications include Misoprostol, Gemeprost, as well as the same mifepristone. It must be remembered that the dosage of certain drugs is selected exclusively by the doctor. Under the influence of prostaglandin analogues, the reproductive organ begins to contract intensively. As a result, detachment of the membranes and the overgrown endometrium occurs. Next, the embryo is expelled from the uterine cavity, and abortion occurs.

In what time frame can the procedure be carried out?

When is a pill abortion prescribed? The deadlines should be short. Many women delay termination of pregnancy and therefore are forced to lie down on the surgical table. The procedure can be performed within 42 days after the last menstrual period. So, the period of development of the fertilized egg during this period will be 6-7 weeks. In some cases, the described restrictions are shifted. If ultrasound diagnostics show that the embryo has not yet reached seven weeks of development, then the woman can undergo the procedure even after 42 days of amenorrhea. This often happens due to late ovulation.

Can all women have a pill abortion?

Reviews from doctors indicate that this manipulation has some contraindications. These include the following situations:

• bleeding disorder (there is a risk of severe bleeding);
• inflammatory diseases of the uterine cavity and ovaries;
• pregnancy that develops outside the uterine cavity (usually in the fallopian tubes and ovaries);
• acute diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• the presence of scars on the uterine walls;
• individual intolerance to the active ingredients of the drug.

There may also be other contraindications. The doctor always informs you about them before the manipulation.

Are there consequences?

After a pill abortion, as after a surgical termination of pregnancy, there may be complications. It is worth noting that the consequences of such manipulation are not so dangerous. Thus, during gynecological curettage or curettage, perforation of the uterine wall may occur. Due to medical termination of pregnancy, this is impossible. Also, the adhesive process, which often occurs after cleaning, is excluded when exposed to drugs containing mifepristone. Let's consider the main consequences that pill abortion has.

Severe pain

Pill abortion absolutely always causes pain. Sometimes women who have given birth compare such uterine contractions with normal contractions. However, the intensity of discomfort is less than during childbirth.

Pain after a pill abortion persists for several days. Most often, this happens until the fertilized egg and endometrium leave the uterine cavity. It is worth noting that the discomfort intensifies after taking prostaglandin analogues.

Bleeding from the reproductive organ

Discharge after a pill abortion lasts about one week. If you have to change a sanitary pad every hour, then you may be bleeding. In this case, the discharge does not decrease, but maintains its intensity.

This pathology can occur when a woman has a blood clotting disorder. This is why it is so important to get tested and undergo an examination before the procedure. Bleeding after medical termination of pregnancy can be eliminated surgically or conservatively.

Lack of effect from the procedure: continued pregnancy

Pregnancy after a pill abortion may simply not be interrupted. It is worth noting that the longer the period of development of the fertilized egg, the higher the likelihood of such a consequence. Sometimes it happens that after an unsuccessful intervention, a woman still decides to give birth to a child. However, in this case, there is a high probability that the baby will have congenital pathologies. Sometimes they are incompatible with life.

If the pregnancy is not terminated after medication, the woman still has to undergo curettage or vacuum aspiration. You can find out about the effectiveness of the above-described drugs after one or two weeks, during ultrasound diagnostics.

Nausea and vomiting without relief

Medicines containing mifepristone quite often cause nausea and subsequent vomiting. That is why the patient is recommended to refuse to eat on the day of the procedure. This consequence has a very simple explanation.

The drugs described above enhance the contractility of the uterus. This leads to a slight opening of the cervical canal. This procedure, in turn, is always accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Sexual intercourse with discomfort

Sex after a pill abortion is possible only after two weeks. Otherwise, there is a high risk of infection. Quite often, hormonal imbalance after such manipulation leads to increased vaginal dryness. This causes discomfort during sexual intercourse.

Immediate re-pregnancy

A common consequence of a pill abortion is that the next ovulation occurs within two weeks. In this case, the first sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives can lead to re-conception. To avoid such consequences, you should definitely take precautions and follow all the recommendations of your doctor.

Female depression

Any termination of pregnancy, including pill abortion, often leads to depression. Approximately 70 percent of 100 patients experience this phenomenon. The body of a representative of the fairer sex is programmed to conceive and bear a child. Even voluntary termination of pregnancy leads to a depressed state.

Many women do not admit their depression and inner emptiness. However, this only aggravates the situation and drives the patient into a dead end.

Allergy

This consequence occurs quite rarely. However, it is also worth mentioning. There are situations when a woman has an allergic reaction to the drugs described above. Most often, representatives of the fairer sex experience itching and a rash like urticaria. Sneezing or runny nose may also occur. When administering drugs vaginally, women report itching in the genital area.

Carefully reading the instructions will help you avoid such consequences. If you have at least one contraindication, then you should choose a different drug or method of termination of pregnancy.