| The more precise term for the kind of abortion you will be having is vacuum aspiration abortion. The health care provider will empty your uterus with machine-operated suction or with a hand-held device that creates suction through a syringe. D&C (dilation and curettage) refers to use of medical instruments to open the cervix or mouth of the uterus so that the uterus can be emptied — dilation — and the use of a narrow metal loop called a curette to clean the walls of the uterus — curettage. This method is used from four to 16 weeks after a woman's last period.
Before having an abortion, a woman must sign a consent form, provide her medical history, and have laboratory tests and a physical exam. A vacuum aspiration abortion will only take 10-20 minutes, but women who have abortions in the first weeks of pregnancy are asked to rest in the recovery room for about an hour afterwards.
Most women feel pain similar to menstrual cramps. For others, abortion is more uncomfortable. Local painkillers are used, but some women opt for sedation or general anesthesia. After the abortion, a woman may have cramps and may bleed on and off for several days up to a couple of weeks. She'll receive after-care instructions and will need to schedule a follow-up appointment in two to four weeks.
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