The Different Types Of Abortions You Should Know

There are different types of abortions that you should be aware of. In addition, there are rules, laws and deadlines for each type that differ from country to country. Keep reading to learn more.

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy within 20 weeks. There are three different types of abortions: spontaneous, natural or induced. Termination of pregnancy, both natural and induced, can be followed by vaginal bleeding.

Types of abortions based on the reason

A miscarriage

The first of the types of abortions that we discuss is the type/variant where you choose not to terminate the pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This usually does not require any form of treatment or surgery.

Some of the causes of spontaneous miscarriages include chromosomal abnormalities, as well as uterine artery abnormalities.
In addition, medical problems such as endometriosis and fibroids can also cause miscarriages.
Other factors that increase the chance of a spontaneous abortion are smoking, alcohol and drug use and traumatic situations.

Provoked abortion

This is an abortion where the woman chooses to have a procedure done to terminate the pregnancy. She may decide to do this because she became pregnant unintentionally or is unable to care for the baby.

Abortion for medical reasons

In this variant of types of abortions based on the reason, the doctor terminates the pregnancy if the health of the mother or the fetus is at risk. Prolonging the pregnancy may pose a risk of death or immediate health risks to the mother. Abortions for medical reasons include:

high-risk pregnancies.
maternal mental health problems.
a congenital abnormality of the fetus.
etcetera.

Legal basis for the different types of abortions

Illegal abortions

Abortions are illegal if they are performed in violation of the laws of the state or country where the woman is currently located. When the law makes abortion illegal, the woman can often only have a dangerous and risky abortion. As a result, the maternal mortality rate in countries where this procedure is illegal is higher than in countries where abortion is legal.

Legal abortions

Even the most progressive laws reject women and professionals who perform abortions outside of the set deadlines. In addition, they can be fined or even jailed. In almost every country in the world, abortion is legal in certain cases, with the exception of:

The Vatican
El Salvador
Malta
Nicaragua
Honduras
The Dominican Republic

The laws in the other countries provide a specific definition of when an abortion is legal. In Spain, for example, the period in which an abortion is allowed is in the first 3.5 months of pregnancy. There is also a cooling-off period of 3 days.

In addition, there are many different reasons for which it is legal to have an abortion. This is usually arranged per country. In the United States, each state can create its own abortion laws.

Types of abortions based on how they are performed

Worried woman after taking a pregnancy test

1. Pharmacological abortion

Up to the 7th week of pregnancy, women can have an abortion with the help of pills. First, the patient takes one or more mifepristone tablets. After 24 or 48 hours, misoprostol is given to remove the amniotic sac. However, these drugs are only available by prescription through hospital and health centers.

2. Instrumental abortion

Based on the technique used to perform the procedure, there are different types of abortions in instrumental abortion. We will discuss these below.

The Kaman Method

This abortion is performed via dilation and aspiration. Doctors don’t make cuts or incisions, and it’s not surgery. However, you will need medical professionals and equipment to perform the procedure.

First, the cervix dilates gradually. Then the uterus is drained. This procedure is possible up to the 17th week of pregnancy and usually takes between 5 and 10 minutes.

Surgical abortion

The gynecologist or surgeon will perform the abortion through an operation. This means that some form of anesthesia is required to perform the procedure.

Abortion by Dilation and Extraction

This is a procedure that is done when the abortion takes place between 16-19 weeks. There is a greater risk of complications because the pregnancy is more advanced. It always requires general anesthesia or sedation and is therefore surgery.

The uterus dilates, after which the doctor uses surgical instruments to remove the fetus from the uterus.
This procedure usually takes between 10 and 30 minutes, but recovery after that can take hours.

curettage

This form of abortion consists of scraping the walls of the uterus. In fact, gynecologists use this technique for other procedures as well. This procedure used to be very common, but today doctors often opt for one of the other options.

Delayed Drug Abortion or Induced Abortion

This combines the pharmacological method of dilating the uterus with the surgical method of removing the contents of the uterus by means of extraction.

However, there are certain risks associated with it after 19-20 weeks. Therefore, a medical team must assess the entire situation, as this procedure requires hospitalization and general anaesthesia. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat this procedure.