Risks & Side Effects

What Abortion Feels Like

Medication Abortion
For most women, medication abortion is like an early miscarriage. It is expected you will have bleeding and cramping. You might also

• feel dizzy
• feel strong cramps
• feel nauseous or vomit
• feel temporary abdominal pain
• have diarrhea
• have temporary mild fever or pains

Acetaminophen — such as Tylenol^® — can reduce most of these symptoms. Painkillers such as ibuprofen — for example, Motrin^® or Advil^® — can also reduce symptoms. Do not take aspirin.

Vacuum Aspiration and D&E
Most women say they feel pain similar to strong menstrual cramps. For others, it is more uncomfortable. Local numbing medications are usually used. Some clinics use additional medicines that allow you to be awake but deeply relaxed. Others offer general anesthesia so you can sleep through the procedure. This, however, increases the medical risks and the time you must stay at the clinic.

Embryonic and Fetal Pain

We know that the embryo or fetus cannot feel pain before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Nearly all — 99 percent — of abortions are done before 20 weeks. It is even possible that a fetus is unable to perceive pain at any time during pregnancy. If, however, the ability to feel pain does develop before birth and consciousness, it is likely to happen only after the 28th week of pregnancy, when abortion is performed only for rare, unusual medical situations.

Feelings After an Abortion

Most women feel relief. Some women feel anger, regret, guilt, or sadness for a little while. Sudden hormonal changes may intensify these feelings.

Some people who oppose a woman's right to make her own reproductive decisions claim that abortion often causes long-lasting emotional problems, or "post-abortion syndrome." There is no scientific proof for these claims.

Health Risks of Abortion

First-trimester abortion is much safer for women than giving birth. But there are risks associated with any medical procedure. Your overall health may affect you risks of complications.

Medication Abortion
Possible risks include

• incomplete abortion — the embryo and other products of conception are not entirely expelled from the uterus
• allergic reaction
• infection
• very heavy bleeding
• undetected ectopic pregnancy, which can be fatal if left untreated
• in extremely rare cases death is possible from very serious complications — the risk of death from medication abortion is
• about the same as it is from miscarriage
• higher than it is from early vacuum aspiration abortion
• lower than it is from carrying a pregnancy to term

Vacuum Aspiration and D&E
The risks associated with vacuum aspiration and D&E increase the longer you are pregnant and if sedation or general anesthesia is used. Possible risks include

• incomplete abortion — the embryo or fetus and other products of conception are not entirely removed from the uterus
• allergic reaction
• infection
• very heavy bleeding
• undetected ectopic pregnancy, which can be fatal if left untreated
• blood clots in the uterus
• injury to the cervix
• organ injury
• in extremely rare cases death is possible from very serious complications. In general, the risk of death from abortion increases the longer a woman has been pregnant. Overall, the risk of death from childbirth is 11 times greater than the risk of death from abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. After 20 weeks, the risk of death from abortion is about the same as the risk of death from childbirth.

Future Pregnancies

Safe, uncomplicated abortion should not affect your ability to have a child in the future. In future pregnancies, it does not

• cause birth defects
• cause premature birth or low infant birth weight
• make ectopic (not in the uterus) pregnancy more likely
• make miscarriage more likely
• make the risk of infant death more likely

Having more than one abortion also should not affect future pregnancies.

Seeing the Embryo or Fetus

Some women fear seeing the embryo or fetus during abortion.

Medication Abortion
Women who have medication abortion in the first 49 days of pregnancy are unlikely to see the embryo. Women who have medication abortion from 49 to 63 days of pregnancy are somewhat more likely to be able to identify the embryo or fetus.

Vacuum Aspiration and D&E
The clinician and other staff people who perform the procedure may see the embryo or fetus, as well as the other products of conception.

Breast Cancer

Abortion does not cause breast cancer or increase the risk of breast cancer.

| Updated: 09.21.07

© 2007 Planned Parenthood^® Federation of America, Inc. All rights reserved.