Considering abortion?

If you are pregnant, a child is already growing inside you. By the fifth week, the heart is beating.¹ It may seem that an abortion will erase the situation and let you move on. It isn't always that simple. For some women it is a life-changing event, physically and emotionally. You have the right to know all the facts before you decide.

We are here to talk about your options, listen to your worries and answer your questions. Call us at 1-855-871-4442 or write to us.

You have more than one option

Abortion procedures

Medication abortion

In Canada the drug is approved up to 9 weeks of pregnancy (63 days, counted from the first day of your last period). It happens in two steps: a first drug, mifepristone, stops the pregnancy from developing; a second, misoprostol, taken one or two days later, causes contractions that expel the embryo: the pregnancy ends and the child does not survive. Bleeding lasts about ten days on average, with cramping, and usually happens at home. A medical follow-up is needed within 7 to 14 days to make sure the abortion is complete.²

Aspiration abortion (first trimester)

The cervix is opened with medication or small dilators, then a tube attached to a suction device removes the embryo or fetus and the placenta from the uterus. The doctor may then use a curette to make sure nothing remains.³

Dilation and evacuation (second trimester)

From about 14 weeks the fetus is larger.⁴ The cervix must be opened further, often a few hours beforehand or the day before. The fetus, whose arms, legs and fingers are already formed,¹ is removed with instruments and suction.³

The risks

Abortion carries real risks for the mother. The best known are:

• heavy bleeding;
• infection;
• an incomplete abortion that requires a second procedure;
• more rarely, injury to the cervix or uterus.

Serious complications are uncommon, but they do happen.³ If a medication abortion fails, which happens in about 3 to 5% of cases, surgery may be needed.²

Emotionally, some women later experience sadness, guilt or regret. Some studies link abortion to lasting psychological difficulties;⁵ others find these feelings fade with time.⁶ If you feel this way, you don't have to go through it alone.

Pregnant and Worried? offers listening and information on all options, but does not provide abortions or refer for them. This information does not replace the advice of a health professional.