Medical Questions » Pregnancy Questions » Question No. 801
| Question: | I have fallen pregnant to a boy I don' t really like and I' m considering an abortion. I would like to know what happens in this operation. |
| Answer: | I will not enter into the moral, ethical or legal side of this debate, but will merely give the bare clinical facts.
Provided you are less than twelve weeks pregnant, an abortion is a technically simple procedure. More advanced pregnancies are more difficult to terminate.
On attending the clinic where the procedure is to be performed, you should be questioned about your overall health and the details of the pregnancy. You will be examined generally and internally, a pregnancy test may be performed, and an ultrasound scan should normally be done to determine the exact stage of pregnancy.
Once these details are completed, and you are determined to proceed, you will be taken to an operating theatre and a general anaesthetic will be given. While you are anaesthetised, a thin tube is introduced up your vagina and through the cervix into the uterus (womb). Suction apparatus is attached to the other end of the tube, and the tube is moved around inside the uterus, sucking out the contents which includes the developing foetus and placenta.
There are several other techniques, but this is now the most common.
The operation lasts only ten to fifteen minutes, and you will wake up from the anaesthetic in a recovery room. After a couple of hours you will be allowed to go home, but should have an internal check by a doctor (often your own general practitioner) in the next day or two to ensure that there are no complications.
If you have any abnormal bleeding, discharge or develop a fever in the week or two after the abortion, you should see a doctor immediately.
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