An ultrasound determines whether your pregnancy is developing or you have miscarried, how far along you are, and the pregnancy’s location. If you’re considering an abortion, you need to be aware of these details because:
- It’s possible to get a positive pregnancy test days or even weeks after a miscarriage, so you may no longer be pregnant.
- The FDA only approves the abortion pill method through 10 weeks of pregnancy, so it’s vital to know how far along you are.
- Your pregnancy can be life-threatening if located outside your uterus.
Are You Actually Pregnant?
Experts estimate that as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and 80% of those occur in the first 12 weeks. It’s possible still to get a positive pregnancy test after a miscarriage because it takes a woman’s body time to return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels.
A limited obstetric (OB) ultrasound detects a heartbeat to determine if your pregnancy is viable (developing) or if you have had a miscarriage. There is no need for an abortion if you have naturally miscarried.
Do You Qualify For the Abortion Pill Method?
The FDA highly regulates the first drug, mifepristone, in the abortion pill regimen. Only certified providers should prescribe it. Mifepristone is approved through 10 weeks of pregnancy only. The drug becomes less effective the farther along you are in your pregnancy.
Some of the risks of using the drug include the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- An incomplete abortion (the drugs terminated the pregnancy, but not all of the pregnancy tissue left the body, which can result in serious complications)
- An ongoing pregnancy
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
An ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy, which is essential if you’re using the abortion pill method.
Is Your Pregnancy Located in Your Uterus?
A pregnancy that is not located in the uterus is called an ectopic pregnancy. Although rare, this type of pregnancy can be extremely dangerous, even life-threatening. An abortion does not remove an ectopic pregnancy.
Sometimes, the pregnancy implants in a fallopian tube, which leads to the uterus. If it continues growing, it could cause the tube to burst. This results in serious internal bleeding. You’ll need immediate treatment for an ectopic pregnancy.
How Can I Get the Answers to These Questions?
As you can see, an ultrasound provides the answers you need before moving forward with an abortion. It is also an essential part of our pre-abortion screenings.
LaVie Health offers no-cost, confidential, limited obstetric (OB) ultrasounds as a part of this screening. Specially trained registered nurses perform our ultrasounds, and a board-certified radiologist reads the results.
If you are considering abortion, you will also want to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Many STDs do not have immediate symptoms, but become more dangerous to your health if left untreated.
Please fill out our online Contact Form to request a no-cost, confidential appointment. Although we do not perform or refer for abortions, we can give you the information you need. We care about your health and safety. Contact us today.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
