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What to do if I need a safe abortion?

by | Oct 7, 2024 | Abortion, legal and regulatory frameworks, Abortion, myths and stigma, Human rights, Safe Abortion, Sexual and Reproductive Rights

The safe abortion allows women and others with gestational capacity to make choices about their lives and their future. When a decision has been made to opt for a termination of pregnancy, quality services and reliable, scientifically backed information must be made available to people in a clear, friendly and contextually appropriate manner, in order to avoid the risks of misinformation and social criminalization.

The first thing you should know is that abortion is a safe medical procedure, as long as you have accurate information based on scientific evidence. What makes abortion unsafe are myths, misinformation, stigma and prejudice.

So, if you have decided to terminate the pregnancy, take into account that you can do it on your own with correct information and medications; or, make sure you have a trained person to guide you and provide clear and reliable information, so you can know which is the best method for you.

To perform a safe abortion you have several options:

– Go to health services (if this service is available in your region) to be offered the option of medical abortion or manual vacuum aspiration (MVA). Both procedures are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

– Performing the abortion with medication and medical accompaniment from a distance, this process is called telemedicine. This way you have the peace of mind to resolve any doubts that may arise during the procedure.

– Through an organization or collective to accompany you. Organizations and networks of escorts that support access to safe abortion are trained to provide counseling for your procedure.

– Self-manage medical abortion using the appropriate doses without the accompaniment of another person or a health institution. This option involves having a safe abortion in complete autonomy and privacy, and is an option validated by the WHO. If you opt for it, it is very important that you have accurate information, quality assured medications and access to health services if necessary. We recommend you identify those that are 24 hours and close to your area. In addition, we suggest you read: How to buy pills to induce abortion?

– Have a mixed abortion process, that is, both self-managed and with medical accompaniment or assistance. In this option, you direct your procedure and, if you deem it necessary, you can approach escort groups or medical personnel for the administration of medications or to find out if the abortion was completed successfully.

Keep in mind that up to 13 weeks you can self-manage your abortion, after 13 weeks we recommend that you go to a health professional. Counseling by health personnel or a network of companions can help you make the right decision for you.

If you do not know the abortion laws in your region and the organizations that could guide and accompany you, we invite you to consult our interactive map of access to abortion.

Remember that medical abortion is a safe and effective method when sufficient information is available and when the drugs and dosages are used correctly. Depending on where you are, you may choose to use misoprostol alone or the combined regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol.

To acquire these drugs you can ask for help from organizations or collectives in the place where you are, or you can acquire them on your own, although this depends on the free access (or not) to these drugs in your locality, since mifepristone is not available in all Latin American countries.

Learn more about the medical abortion procedure and unusual symptoms to watch out for in these blogs:

You should also take into account that, if you have any special health condition, it is better to consult a professional before performing a medical abortion. Likewise, if you have an IUD, you should go to the clinic to have it removed to facilitate the abortion process and avoid complications.

There is a possibility that the pregnancy is implanted outside the uterus, which is known as ectopic pregnancy, this possibility increases when you have the IUD. A symptom of this type of pregnancy is throbbing pain, especially on one side of the lower abdomen. If you suspect you have an ectopic pregnancy you should go to the emergency room, in these cases medical abortion is not an option.

Finally, if abortion is restricted in the region where you are located, emergency medical care is legal. It is your choice whether or not to report that you have taken abortion medication, you can say that you are having a miscarriage if you prefer to keep your decision private.

The decision of how to go about your abortion procedure is yours, from where to have it done and with whom or whom. If you want to know more about what to expect from this procedure, read testimonials from those who have had medical abortions at: Safe abortion, from the voices of women who used medication.