Youre sure youre pregnant, and this was not among your plans. Now you feel fear, confusion and offence and are absolutely unaware of what to do further. Its very hard to turn out to face unplanned pregnancy. You deserve to know all facts before you make a decision. Law gives you right to be informed about such important decision. Lets learn about a new life that is developing inside of you and the abortion itself in more details. Remember, therere always positive ways in this situation.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT AFTER-EFFECTS OF ABORTION?

Abortion is not a simple medical procedure. For many women this is an event, causing serious physical, emotional and spiritual changes. Majority of women, suffering from after-effects of past abortions, say that they would like to be told about all facts before they decided to have pregnancy terminated.

HOW SHOULD I TREAT PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME HAVING AN ABORTION?

Remember that basic burden because of after-effects of abortion will fall on you. If your boyfriend or parents make you having your pregnancy terminated quickly, explain them that you need to think over everything. Try to involve them in the process of learning the situation, to find a positive way. And remember, you have a right to keep this pregnancy.

CAN I HAVE A BABY AND KEEP ON LIVING MY USUAL LIFE?

Probably, you treat this unplanned pregnancy as an obstacle in your life. But you should know that therere always lots of variants to solve problems. Look closer and you will see them. Remember, many women found necessary help in such situation and made positive decision.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY

During pregnancy your organism passes through many changes. Most popular signs of early pregnancy are insomnia, sickness, heightened sensibility of breast, frequent urination, tiredness and sudden changes of mood.

You can trust to majority of pregnancy tests, however, you need to visit a doctor, to confirm it.

Your doctor may lead or send you to ultrasound investigation, to confirm pregnancy. This information is important in any case, regardless of whether you think about abortion or keeping pregnancy.

Signs of pregnancy:

Delay of menstruation
Sickness and retching
Heightened sensibility of breast
Frequent urination
Sudden changes of mood
Tiredness

TERMS

Cervix of the uterus lower opening in uterus.

Embryo human life in the initial stage of development.

Fertilization combination of male sperm with female ovule, forming a new human life as a result.

Fetus developing prenatal baby with human constitution.

Full-term pregnancy term, after which prenatal baby is ready for birth (about 40 weeks after last menstruation or 38 weeks after fertilization).

Last menstrual period a day, when last menstruation began before fertilization. This is a date, since which calculations of pregnancy and age of prenatal baby are made.

Trimester 3 months interval, which is used for determination of three, following one after another, stages of pregnancy: 1st trimester (1st-3rd months), 2nd trimester (4-6th months) and 3rd trimester (7-9th months).

Uterus muscle female organ, in which prenatal baby is developing.

Beginning of life At the moment, when fertilization takes place, peculiarities of a baby are already present and determined, including sex, hair and eye color.

9 weeks (7 weeks since conception)
During this term a babys heart is already beating for a whole month

16 weeks
In this age a baby reacts to loud sounds

22 weeks (20 weeks since conception)
In this age you can see a babys eyelashes

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROCEDURES OF ABORTION

Vacuum-aspiration
This operational abortion is carried out on early stage of pregnancy (up to 7 weeks). Muscles of cervix of the uterus are stretched with the help of metallic rods-dilators until opening is wide enough to allow abortive instruments come in uterus. Doctor attaches a special syringe to a tube (it is inserted in uterus) and a prenatal baby is evacuated.

Vacuum-aspiration with following scraping
During 6-14 weeks after last menstrual period

During this procedure a doctor opens cervix of the uterus with metallic dilators or thin sticks that are inserted hours before the procedure itself. A doctor inserts tube into uterus and attaches in to pump. A pump grinds a babys body into parts and evacuates them from uterus. Such abortion is called Dilation with following scraping. In this case doctor can use curette (roundish knife), to scrape parts of babys body from uterus.

Dilation and ablation
During 13-24 weeks after last menstruation

This operational abortion is carried out during second trimester of pregnancy. As a developing baby doubles in size between 11th and 12th weeks, his body is too big to be crushed by pump and pass through tube. In this case cervix of the uterus should be opened wider, than during abortion of 1st trimester. So, sticks are inserted a day or two before abortion itself. After cervix of the uterus is opened, a doctor takes out parts of babys body with forceps. To take out a babys skull, it is crushed with forceps beforehand.

Dilation and extraction
Since 20 weeks after last menstrual period

This procedure takes 3 days. During first two days a cervix of the uterus is dilated and a woman is given antispasmodic preparations. On third day a woman takes a medicine, provoking delivery. After delivery began, a doctor carries out ultrasonic investigation to determine location of babys legs. Clenching legs with forceps, a doctor takes baby out, leaving only head inside. Then, he makes a hole in a skull and lets contents out. A skull is broken and a baby is taken out from uterus completely.

"Mifegin", "Mifepristone", "RU 486?" during 4-7 weeks after last menstruation

This medicated abortion is carried out during 30-49 days after last menstrual period. As a rule, a woman should visit a doctor three times for this procedure. "Mifegin" is given to women, who return 2 days later, to take second medicine "Misprostol". A combination of these 2 chemicals provokes to rejection and ejection of a baby from uterus.

COMPLICATIONS RIGHT AFTER ABORTION

As a result of abortion, many complications may appear: pain in lower part of belly, spasms, sickness, vomiting and liquid stool. In spite of the fact that in majority of cases therere no serious after-effects, complications may appear in about one of each 100 abortions on early term. And also in one of each 50 abortions on late term.

More serious complications are:

Intensive bleeding
Some bleeding after abortion is normal. However, theres a risk of serious bleeding, especially, if uterine artery is broken. When this happens, a woman needs blood transfusion.

Infection
During abortion bacterium can come into uterus. Result infection. Serious infection can lead to stable high temperature during several days, what requires long hospitalization.

Incomplete abortion
Some parts of babys body can be left in uterus. As a result, bleeding and infection may appear. For example, "RU 486" does not work in one of 20 cases.

Allergic reaction to medicines
Allergic reaction to anesthesia during abortion can lead to convulsions, heart attack and sometimes death.

Laceration of cervix
Cervix of the uterus can be cut or broken by abortive instruments.

Scars on internal membrane of uterus
Tube of suction apparatus, curette and other instruments can leave scars on uterus membrane.

Perforation of uterus
Uterus can be transfixed or broken by instruments. Risk of this complication increases with duration of pregnancy. If this happens, a serious operation, and in some cases hysterectomy (amputation of uterus) are necessary.

Damage of internals
When a hole or gap forms in uterus, this may lead to a damage of adjoining organs, such as bowels and urinary bladder.

Death
In extreme cases complications after abortion may lead to death. Excessive bleeding, damage of organs and walls of uterus and negative reaction to anesthesia are especially dangerous. These complications happen seldom, in general 20 cases per year.

THINK ABOUT OTHER AFTER-EFFECTS OF ABORTION

ABORTION AND BREAST CANCER

Doctors are still investigating a question about possible connection between abortion and breast cancer. However, herere several important factors:

Bearing pregnancy till childbirth creates protection against breast cancer in organism. This protection is not gained, in you make abortion. Because of abortion a sudden decay of hormone estrogen takes place. This fact makes breast cells disposed to breast cancer. Majority of researches indicate to a significant connection between abortion and breast cancer.

INFLUENCE OF ABORTION ON FUTURE PREGNANCY

Scars and other damages as a result of abortion may lead to sterility or complications while further desired pregnancies. For those who had first pregnancy terminated, a risk of miscarriages increases.

In 1994 a magazine National Cancer Institute determined: Among women, who became pregnant although once, a risk of breast cancer increased 50% for those, who had pregnancy terminated.

EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE

Some women feel serious emotional stress after abortion. This may begin during first days after abortion, and sometimes many years later. Herere some factors, which passing of symptoms of Post-abortion stress depends on: age of woman, circumstances of abortion, term of pregnancy, and also religious views of woman.

SPIRITUAL SIDE

People have different understanding of God. Regardless of your belief now, spiritual side of abortion deserves attention. If you have your pregnancy terminated, this may influence not only your mind and organism, but also attitude to God. What does God want for you in this situation? In what way does God see your prenatal baby? These are important questions, which you should think over.

SYMPTOMS OF POST-ABORTIVE STRESS

Sense of guilt
Offence and malice
Anxiety
Depression
Thoughts of suicide
Worries during anniversaries of abortion
Sexual dysfunction
Problems in relationships
Excess alcohol
Drug addiction
Psychological changes

SEARCH OF POSITIVE DECISION

You have a legal right to choose. You real responsibility is to find out ways for making a Positive decision.

Herere several opportunities:

BECOME A PARENT

Choice of keeping pregnancy is a difficult choice. But with support of kind people, lessons for parents and other possibilities many women find help for themselves and choose this way.

ADOPTION

You can give your baby for adoption. In USA therere about 50,000 of such cases per year. This decision, based on love, often is made by women, who were thinking about abortion before.

I could not give all necessary things for my baby. The best decision in my life was to find a loving family for her, which could grow my daughter. She loves her family and she loves me too. I did not betray her, I gave her the best. Dana

HELP IS POSSIBLE

Sometimes it seems turning out facing unplanned pregnancy is insuperably difficult. That is why it is so important to know where to go for help. Try to talk to a person, whom you trust: priest, father of a baby, parents or, possible, just with a good friend.