Abortion

How are abortions carried out?

There are two main early abortion methods:

Medical abortion (known as 'the abortion pill')

Medical abortion can be performed in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy. It does not involve any surgery. The woman is given a pill (mifepristone) and 36 to 48 hours later, a tablet (prostaglandin) is placed in her vagina. These two drugs end most early pregnancies within the following four hours. It feels like having a heavy and rather painful period.

There is now an East Dorset Early Medical Termination Service and referral for a termination is by your GP, a Contraceptive Health Service Doctor (formerly Family Planning) or a Youth Advisory Clinic with a doctor in attendance. The early medical termination service is run on Thursdays from Poole Community Health Clinic, Shaftesbury Road, Poole. There must be a referral from a doctor before attending the clinic; you will receive an appointment letter through the post.

Vacuum aspiration (known as 'the suction method')

This method is available up to 13 weeks of pregnancy. For this procedure the woman has either a general or local anaesthetic. The abortion is carried out through the vagina and there is no wound or stitches. The cervix (the entrance to the womb at the top of the vagina) is gently stretched to allow a tube to pass through it into the womb. Once the tube is inserted, it only takes a minute to remove the pregnancy by suction. Healthy women take only an hour or so to recover and most go home the same day.

Methods used for later abortions will depend on the stage of pregnancy. The exact procedure will be explained by a doctor or nurse before the abortion goes ahead.

Having an abortion should not affect a woman's ability to have a child in the future.

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