Are you pregnant unexpectedly and considering abortion? It’s a big decision and one that should not be made lightly. Most providers will require that you have an ultrasound before having an abortion, and this procedure provides important information about your pregnancy. This article addresses ultrasound before abortion, how it’s used, and why it is a helpful tool when deciding what to do about your pregnancy.
Considering Abortion?
If you think you want to get an abortion because of an unplanned pregnancy, it could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe you have a bad relationship with the baby’s father. Or perhaps you feel that you can’t financially or emotionally support a child at this stage of your life. Whatever your reason, you may feel that abortion is your only option. This is not the case; there are other options available to you that could improve your circumstances. However, if you do decide to get an abortion, you will most likely need to have an ultrasound before the procedure.
What Is An Ultrasound?
An ultrasound is an imaging procedure that uses sound waves to produce an image of an internal part of your body. Pregnancy ultrasounds produce images of the uterus, including the developing pregnancy.
Reasons To Get An Ultrasound Before Abortion
There are many reasons to get an ultrasound before you have an abortion. Here are some of the most significant:
- State Requirements: depending on where you live, your state may require an ultrasound before booking an abortion procedure. Check your state laws.
- Confirm Viability: ultrasounds are most often used to diagnose viability. This means that there is a live pregnancy within the uterus.
- Miscarriage: pregnancy loss is most common in the first trimester. An ultrasound can determine if a miscarriage has occurred, and if it has, an abortion would not be necessary.
- Gestational Age: ultrasounds confirm how far along you are in pregnancy.
- Ectopic pregnancy: it is important to determine if the pregnancy has implanted somewhere outside the uterus.
- Multiples: ultrasounds can show you if more than one baby is developing.
Risks Of Not Having An Ultrasound
If you do not get an ultrasound before you have an abortion, you risk developing serious complications. These could include:
- Misunderstanding Pregnancy Development: gestational age and development determine whether you can have a medical or surgical abortion. Certain options are only available up to a specific time of pregnancy, which can affect your decision.
- Life-Threatening Bleeding and Sepsis: this can occur if you miscalculate how far along you are in pregnancy when choosing an abortion procedure. An ultrasound gives you an idea of where you are in pregnancy.
- Uninformed About Abortion: the decision to have an abortion is a life-changing one with real physical and emotional consequences; it should only be made in light of good medical information.
- Ectopic Pregnancy: if left undiagnosed, this condition can be life-threatening. Call your doctor if you think you may have an ectopic pregnancy because this can only be diagnosed via ultrasound.
We hope this article has informed you about the importance of ultrasound before abortion. Clearway Clinic offers free, confidential ultrasounds for women considering abortion. Contact us to schedule your visit at our Worcester or Springfield MA, clinic locations.
