Deciding About An Abortion

This page Includes: Get Medical Help—Get Abortion Information—Ask Best Questions—Get Help—Glossary—Citations.

Surprised to find out you might be pregnant? Feeling overwhelmed – with lots of different emotions? That’s normal. There is a way to get through this.

Whether or not to have an abortion is one of the most important decisions you may ever have to make. It’s a very personal decision — and one that only you can make.

But, how do you decide to have Abortion or not?

Below is an easy to follow outline, so you can feel equipped to make a confident decision about your pregnancy.

It is important to take one step at a time. Don’t get ahead of yourself and do something you may regret later. Sometimes emotions can get ahead of us. Taking one careful step at a time allows your emotions to catch up to the facts and information that you gather. You should not make an appointment for an Abortion until you go through these steps first.

We are available to help answer your abortion questions and provide information and resources as you consider your pregnancy options. All our services and information are FREE.

We are not an abortion provider or abortion referral agency, so we do not benefit financially from your decision.

This first step lays the groundwork for the next steps, so it is important.

For many women, when there is health risk involved (like Abortion), there is something that feels safer and more comforting about being in the room with a wise, experienced, and supportive doctor or a nurse. It can help calm your mind to trust in the medical expertise provided to you. It can also help you feel emotionally supported, respected, and cared for.

A good balance of deep medical knowledge and respectful sensitivity are probably attractive to you. You probably want a medical team that is licensed, trusted, and experienced about pregnancy and abortion issues. Also, someone that protects your privacy, and is there when you need them. And if possible, it is FREE!

Good reviews from previous Patients help you know what kind of services and experience you can expect – for example our Patients say things like this: “It was a wonderful experience. The environment was clean and tidy, warm, and trustworthy. It felt very relaxing. The staff were welcoming and professional. They were very patient and friendly throughout the entire process, making me feel respected and cared for. They shared a lot of options and information with me, which helped ease my anxiety. It was the right place for me!”

Well, you are in the right place!

You get all this FREE at Options Women’s Care Center – a medical grade pregnancy test and limited obstetrical (OB) ultrasound for those that medically qualify. We provide you with accurate medical details about abortion types, methods, risks, possible side effects and complications, costs, and alternatives. We can also help answer your questions – carefully and patiently.

This leads to the next step.

Some women have had unpleasant surprises from the experience of an abortion and the after effects. This may be because they did not get all the information up front from the clinic they used. Or it was not explained in a way that made sense.

Here is some basic information to get you started. You will get more details at your appointment to get your pregnancy test, ultrasound, and consultation.

Miscarriage is a spontaneous loss of a pregnancy, so you may not need to take any abortion action if this occurs. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, but the actual number is likely higher.¹

After you have your pregnancy test and ultrasound, you will have more information about your choices and can take the next steps. A registered nurse will be available to provide you with more information.

An ultrasound is the only way to confirm a viable pregnancy, fetal location, and gestational age (how far along you are). This information determines which abortion procedure you would qualify for, to help you make a decision with confidence.

Both abortion methods (described below) are medical procedures and should be supervised and guided by licensed medical professionals.

The Abortion Pill is also known as a medication abortion, or non-surgical abortion since it uses medications to end a pregnancy. It is a combination of two drugs – mifepristone (Mifeprex) and misoprostol (Cytotec) – designed to induce an abortion and end a pregnancy.

This abortion method is available within 10 weeks of the first day of your last menstrual period. However, there are some limitations of certain conditions where a medical abortion should not be used.  If a medical abortion is not complete, a surgical abortion may be necessary.²

A medical abortion (abortion pill) is a multi-step, multi-day process, using 2 different drugs, with 5 pills total for the actual procedure. The U.S. FDA is concerned enough about one of the medications, Mifepristone, that the FDA has this drug under the FDA risk management program³, with cautionary guidance about it.⁴

The FDA does not recommend purchasing Mifepristone outside of the Mifepristone REMS Program – e.g. buying it online or personally transporting it from a foreign country. If a person does so, they would be bypassing important safeguards specifically designed to protect their health. Medical supervision is required for a medical abortion.⁵  Telehealth is an option that is commonly discussed for a medical abortion but it also has some risks to consider.

Having a medical abortion is a major decision with possible emotional and psychological effects. If you’re considering this abortion procedure, make sure you understand what it entails, side effects, possible risks, complications, and alternatives.²

A surgical abortion is performed by surgically removing the contents of the uterus to end a pregnancy. The abortion surgery takes place in a clinic setting by licensed medical personnel.

There are currently two legal surgical abortion procedure methods in California. The difference is when and how each abortion procedure is done.

• Suction / Vacuum Aspiration – between 6 to 16 weeks gestational age.⁶
• Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) – between 16 to 24 weeks gestational age.⁷

Since it is a surgical procedure, surgical abortion poses different risks from medical abortion (Abortion Pill), though both types of abortion have some similar risks. With any medical procedure that affects your health, you should be aware of the details since it can affect your short-term and long-term future.

Here are the best questions to ask yourself, to get the information you need to make an Abortion decision.

Make sure you get complete and accurate information, as described in the section above for all your pregnancy options. You would not want to discover later on that you had missed some information and have regrets.

It’s important to talk with a trusted medical professional who can provide complete information and answer your questions about each option without bias. Sometimes, it feels nice to ask for advice from friends and family members, but wise and respectful medical professionals can offer you information without having an opinion on your choice.

Informed consent is critical before an abortion.⁸  This means you are entirely informed and understand everything you need to know about the abortion procedure for your stage of pregnancy, the risks involved, and practices of the abortion clinic regarding what will happen to the aborted fetus afterward.

Different methods of abortion are performed at different stages of pregnancy, so be sure you understand which one is appropriate for how far along you are. Each has various risks and potential complication, which you have the legal right to know about.

If you are unsure about what to do with your pregnancy, do not take the abortion pill or get a surgical abortion impulsively.

The next question is related to this point.

As noted in the previous question, it is important to understand your legal rights, so you can decide what’s right for you. Laws are changing rapidly.

Even though abortion is legal, coerced abortion is illegal. No one has the right to force, coerce, exert inappropriate influence, or pressure you to have an abortion. It is against the law in all 50 states for anyone to coerce or force you to have an abortion. Anyone who tries to end your pregnancy without your consent could be subject to criminal or civil liability. ⁹

Coerced abortion means someone is manipulating you to have an abortion. Examples include:

• An abortion clinic that urges or forces you to make an abortion appointment before explaining all your pregnancy options first, so you can have all the facts before making a final decision about an abortion.
• A parent or caretaker who says, “If you don’t have an abortion, I will kick you out of the house.”
• A boyfriend or husband who says, “If you don’t have an abortion, I’m leaving you.”
• A boyfriend or husband who says, “If you go through with this pregnancy, you’re on your own and won’t get any financial support from me.” Biological fathers have a legal obligation to support their children financially.
• Anyone who says, “I made your appointment, and I’m taking you. You have to go.” No one can force you to make one choice over another.
• Anyone who says, without your prior knowledge, “I bought these Abortion Pills. Take them!” No one can force you to make one choice over another. You should check the source of any medication you take. The U.S. FDA recommends not purchasing one of the Abortion Pill medications online, to protect your health.⁵  

If you have questions, are unsure, are feeling pressured or misled into an abortion, or having second thoughts about abortion, consider speaking with Options staff and/or an attorney. Our staff and medical professionals would willingly inform you about current abortion laws in California and discuss your pregnancy options. Please note that Options staff do not provide legal advice.

Common reasons some women consider abortion, are often based in feeling fear or anxiety – which is based on the unknown. Some examples:

• Not enough money, time, or help to raise a child.
• It will impact present and future life – lifestyle, education, and more.
• Don’t want to be a single parent or know how to parent.
• Partner will leave if I don’t have an abortion.
• Parents’ reactions to finding out about sexual activity and pregnancy.
• Friends’ reactions to being pregnant.
• School and teachers reactions to being pregnant.
• Employers reactions to being pregnant.

Fear / anxiety based decision-making can cause quick emotionally based decisions, which may provide immediate short-term relief. However, fear-based decision-making can result in long term regrets and impacts on your life.

Options Women’s Care Center has valuable information and answers for each of these concerns and resources to help. For example, as stated before, coerced abortion is illegal. Another example is students have special resources to help with education, and schools and educators are legally required to accommodate needs of pregnant students, under U.S. civil rights laws and Title IX law.

We can help walk you through your fears and all your options, so you can get clarity, confidence, and peace to make a decision for your situation.

Do not be controlled by fear or anxiety, but be guided by careful decision making and confidence.

There may be many pregnancy and abortion questions you have. Our team can help answer your questions and concerns, at your FREE appointment.

For example, here are just a few frequently asked questions.

• How do I know for sure if I’m pregnant?
• Are there pros and cons of abortion?
• What are possible risks, side effects, and complications of abortion?
• What types of abortion are available?
• What are the best options for my situation?
• What type of abortion should I get?
• How much does an abortion cost?
• How do I deal with my partner (husband, boyfriend), parents, family, friends, teachers, etc.?

We can help walk you through your questions, so you can get clarity, confidence, and peace to make a decision for your situation.

Get the answers you need.