For a medical abortion, it is important to go through pre-assessments for your health, medical conditions, any medicines you take, the pregnancy itself, and other aspects. It is vital for safety and peace of mind, ensuring you do not experience complications, emergencies, and hurdles, which could have been avoided.
Understanding which diagnostics you may have to undergo before the medical abortion and after a pregnancy termination, can help safeguard your health.
What Pre-Assessment Before an Abortion Means?
Before an early pregnancy termination using pills, a pre-assessment visit is focused on:
- If the pill procedure is safe for you and medically fit, and within the gestational limit.
- It also helps detect contraindications such as an infection, anemia, ectopic pregnancy, etc.
- Usually, this clinical visit will determine the gestational age as abortion pills are safe to take for a pregnancy within the first 10 to 12 weeks.
- There could be screenings about allergies, medical conditions, and checking about any medicines you take and possible interactions with Mifepristone and Misoprostol pills.
- The pre-assessment consultation will also focus on talking about consent, discussion about abortion methods, and aftercare guidance.
Essential Pre-Abortion Tests
Most healthcare centers have a checklist they follow, which includes the process of how the consultation will flow, the inclusions including tests, counselling, discussing about abortion techniques, informing about abortion expectations, side effect management, and other details.
The general pre-assessment requisites are:
- Confirmation of pregnancy via an ultrasound scan. Additional urine and blood hCG tests may be asked for.
- A pelvic exam, enquiry about last menstrual period, and history of miscarriages or pregnancies before the current one. To note how further along is the pregnancy.
- The ultrasound abdomen scan detects if the conception is within the uterus or not, helping understand the pregnancy is ectopic or intrauterine.
- Screenings to check infections and STIs such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.
- To understand if there is risk of increased bleeding, pain, and if there is an IUD in place.
- Blood tests to affirm hemoglobin levels and check if there is anemia. To check if the Rh status of blood.
- ·As assessment of medications and medical history, especially if there is any sign of steroid use, cardiac disease, bleeding disorders, anticoagulants use, hypertension, etc.
After Pregnancy Termination: Why Follow-Up Matters
Here is why a follow-up is essential after ending a pregnancy via pills:
- After a medical abortion, a follow-up after two weeks of completing the abortion pill administration is necessary to check the success of the procedure, detect complications if any such as an infection, incomplete termination, excessive bleeding, etc.
- This face-to-face visit with a healthcare professional also gives you a chance to discuss future pregnancy, sex after abortion, aftercare, what to do for recovery, birth control options, and emotional wellness.
- In some cases, you may need emergency care even before a follow-up, especially if you soak more than two large pads per hour for next two hours or more, experience high fever over 24 hours, notice foul-smelling discharge, or encounter severe pain not reduced by using pain relief medicines, or other medical complications.
Tests to do After an Abortion
Some tests are mandatory after an abortion, while other guidance and care queries can be accessed virtually or through telemedicine platforms. Here is what you can expect and do following a medication pregnancy termination:
· Evaluation after an abortion usually includes a pelvic exam along with symptom review for effects such as fever, cramps, pain, bleeding pattern, discharge, and recovery.
- An ultrasound to detect if the uterus empties or there is any pregnancy tissue leftover in the womb.
- The ultrasound is also necessary if there is persistent pain, excessive heavy bleeding than expected in a medical abortion, or any unusual consequence.
- Urine tests, vaginal swabs tests, or other imaging tests to check for any unusual symptoms.
- Extra medical investigations such as full blood count to check for blood profile status and take corrective steps if needed, be it through dietary changes or medicines.
Beyond Tests: Emotional Care and Contraception
When it comes to recovery, it does not limit to physical relief but emotional well-being as well. Similarly, one also had to understand about contraception use to deter further undesired pregnancies:
- After or during an abortion, one may experience several emotions as no one has a single reaction to the decision of pregnancy termination.
- While some people feel abortion a key to get over an unplanned pregnancy, their reaction is normally that of feeling relieved, peace, and happiness. Others may experience guilt, grief, anxiety, and disturbing emotions.
- It is always ideal to seek support from peers, communities, and groups after an abortion or beforehand to manage your feelings rather than feeling lost and isolated. You can also speak to a professional counsellor.
- As for birth control after an abortion, discussing plans for contraception is a good start during the follow-up.
- The types of contraception products are condoms, implants, birth control pills, birth control injections, or abstinence, etc.
- If you are still bleeding from abortion, it is advisable to not have penetrative vaginal intercourse to avoid the risk of infections. Let one to two menstrual cycles pass if you want to get pregnant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the common FAQs about pre-assessments for a medical abortion and tests to do after the procedure:
1. Is an ultrasound always mandatory before an abortion?
Yes, it is best to go for an ultrasound before a pregnancy termination. It will let you know the pregnancy weeks, previous undiagnosed complications of reproductive organs, and more. Moreover, it is helpful to detect the presence of pregnancy, and location of pregnancy – if it is intrauterine or extrauterine.
2. How soon should I do tests after a medical abortion?
You must go for a follow-up visit after 2 weeks of abortion pill completion of dose. Within this time, the pregnancy will pass and you are ready to know if the abortion was a success or if you need additional medical assistance.
3. What if my pregnancy test is still positive after four weeks?
If the pregnancy tests via ultrasound (not home pregnancy test done via kits), turns out to be positive, it is a sign of an ongoing pregnancy, for which surgical termination could be suggested by the doctor.
4. Do I always need blood tests before an abortion?
Routine blood tests are to check the hemoglobin levels, Rh status, and other blood profile details. While it is not a mandatory check before an abortion, it gives additional insight that may prove helpful before, during, or after a pregnancy termination.
5. Can I choose telemedicine and home follow-up instead of clinic visits?
Yes, you can seek support and guidance from telemedicine platforms. Similarly, you can seek home follow-up from facilities that may have such a service available.