General Abortion Information :: Pregnancy Termination | Abortion Services
In Australia, approximately 80,000 terminations of pregnancy are performed each year. The procedure is legal under certain circumstances including threat to the life of the mother or to her emotional and psychological well-being. Socio-economic and financial resources are also considered. The procedure is one of the safest operations, and up to 16 weeks, is safer than giving birth.
|
|
Medical Termination (MTOP) |
|
| High success rate 92-95% | Very high success rate > 99% |
| Usually avoids the use of surgical instruments thus avoiding risk of injury to cervix and uterus. | Instrumentation of cervix and uterus required. |
| Anaesthesia not required (however there is a small failure rate and a surgical termination may be necessary). A needle will be used to take a blood sample. | Anaesthesia required. Intravenous sedation is most commonly used and this is very low risk but does require a needle. |
| Resembles a miscarriage. Pain and bleeding are variable. | A doctor performs the procedure while you are asleep. |
| The pregnancy is usually passed within 24 hours of taking the second drug. The blood and tissue which remains may take days or weeks to pass. | The procedure is completed within 5 — 10 minutes. |
| Bleeding may last for up to 40 days (rarely 70) and patients may see pregnancy tissue and blood clots. | Post procedural bleeding rarely lasts more than two (2) weeks. |
| Requires a minimum of two (2) visits to the clinic two (2) weeks apart. | Only one (1) visit to the clinic is required usually lasting about three (3) hours. |
| Can only be performed in early pregnancy up to nine (9) weeks from last period. | May be performed in early pregnancy up to 18 weeks at our clinic. |
| The miscarriage may occur at home. | You have to fast for five (5) hours before the procedure and you can’t drive yourself home. |
macquarie field's womens clinic ©
5 Mat 2010