Pregnant?! What?! If you are surprised, you also may be confused, and scared. Many other thoughts and emotions may be running through your head.
You may be starting to think about abortion as an option. Here are some facts that may help you feel more in control, and you can start to reel in your emotions.
Don’t panic. CAPS Pregnancy + Medical Clinics is the safe place to get support and info. All FREE.
Abortion Pill – Brief Summary
The Abortion Pill is considered a medical, medicine, or non-surgical abortion, since it uses two prescription medications, not surgery. It is a multi-step procedure that needs to be carefully followed by a licensed medical professional and the patient.
The first preliminary steps are to confirm the pregnancy and pregnancy condition, with a pregnancy test and ultrasound. This helps determine your options and potential risks. See this link for more detailed descriptions of the abortion pill medical procedure, risks, and side effects.
Get the Latest on the Abortion Pill
Here are some really important facts that are sometimes not provided by all clinics.
This can help you make decisions for yourself and know what questions to ask an abortion clinic if you visit one, so you are well informed.
Possible abortion costs include not just financial costs and physical costs, but also mental health / emotional costs and relational / social costs.
Psychological / Emotional Costs
Your mental and emotional health is very important.
Researchers for the American Psychological Association (APA) have noted “substantial individual variation observed in women’s psychological experiences following abortion.”1
It is not unusual to experience a range of psychological and emotional responses and side effects from having an abortion. In some cases, depression can occur. Some research studies and many post abortion experiences indicate there is a risk of mental and emotional health difficulties after abortion. There are many variables that may contribute to post-abortion issues, so it is important to clearly understand your current mental health and situation, before making a final decision.
Any pregnancy loss (abortion, miscarriage) can lead to an interruption in the hormone cycle. The negative feelings that occur after a planned termination (abortion) may be at least partly due to hormonal changes, like those that occur after a spontaneous pregnancy loss (miscarriage).
According to the American Pregnancy Association, common pregnancy loss feelings like those in a miscarriage, include:2
- guilt
- anger
- shame
- depression
- disbelief
- numbness
- remorse or regret
- loss of self-esteem or self-confidence
- feelings of isolation and loneliness
- sleep problems and bad dreams
- relationship problems
- self harm / thoughts of suicide
In addition, some people may experience grief, stress, or a sense of loss and may feel less able to cope. If suicidal thoughts or self-harm occur, you should seek urgent help.
Relational and Social Costs
Your relationships and social health are very important. These are your friends, family, and other meaningful people in your life.
Religious beliefs, family and relationship issues, and social shame or awkwardness can make it harder to cope, especially if you have nobody to talk to about what has happened. Sometimes a sense of isolation can occur.
CAPS provides pre-abortion and post-abortion support and help. We can also provide referrals to other pregnancy professionals and resources if needed.
Risks, side effects, and complications
See this video for a quick abortion overview of these issues.
REMS – The U.S. FDA has enough of a safety concern that they have the medical abortion drug mifepristone under their Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. This program is for certain medications with serious safety concerns to help ensure the benefits of the medication outweigh its risks. While all medications have labeling that informs health care stakeholders about medication risks, only a few medications require a REMS.3, 4
Abortion Pill Reversal. Some women regret taking the abortion pill afterwards. The abortion pill may be reversible – however, you must make the decision to reverse it within hours of taking the abortion pill (though success has been reported in a window of up to 72 hours.) Call the Abortion Pill Reversal Helpline (not a CAPS service) to get more information and support 877-558-0333.
Telehealth has limitations – telemedicine or telehealth is a virtual (remote / video) evaluation and support over the internet. It has some limitations. For many people, when there is health risk involved, there is something that feels safer and more comforting about being in person, in the room with a doctor or a nurse. A doctor’s or nurse’s personal presence in the room can often help put one at ease. Telehealth may not have that personal connection.
Here for You! – Get Help
No matter what choice you make, CAPS will be there for you before, during, and after your pregnancy.
CAPS is different than some other medical clinics since we receive no financial profit from your pregnancy because we do not perform or refer for abortions or arrange adoptions. We do refer to other organizations for adoptions if you are interested in that option. We will help you examine the full range of options (abortion, parenting, adoption) including the variables for each option, so you can make the best choice for your situation.
All pregnancy services are FREE, including FREE pregnancy test, FREE ultrasound, and FREE pregnancy and abortion education.
Other Services – We also provide low to no cost STI / STD testing.
All our services to you are private – your privacy is important to us.
To get help, contact us at any of the San Diego area clinic locations, call us at 619-337-8080, or schedule an appointment.
Citations
1 American Psychological Association (APA), Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion. (2008). Report of the Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved May 25, 2023 from http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/mental-health-abortion-report.pdf
2 American Pregnancy Association (n.d.). After a Miscarriage: Surviving Emotionally. Retrieved May 25, 2023 from https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/pregnancy-loss/miscarriage-surviving-emotionally/
3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2023). Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS). Retrieved May 25, 2023 from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/risk-evaluation-and-mitigation-strategies-rems
4 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2023). Mifepristone – Shared System REMS. Retrieved May 25, 2023 from https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/rems/index.cfm?event=RemsDetails.page&REMS=390