abortion?

What happens to my body during a procedural abortion?

Note: in this zine, we refer to in clinic abortions as " procedural" abortions instead of "surgical" abortions because abortions are technically procedures and not surgeries. There is no cutting or scraping. The abortion provider uses gentle suction to remove the pregnancy tissue.

You may or may not get sedation for your abortion. If you do, you may feel more relaxed or be asleep completely. After you receive sedation, the procedure will begin with the insertion of the speculum. This is a duck bill shaped metal device that goes into the vagina and opens the walls of your vagina so that the abortion provider can see your cervix (the lower part of your uterus that opens into the uterus). If you receive no sedation or minimal/conscious sedation, you may get an injection of lidocaine (numbing medicine) at your cervix. This part can be really uncomfortable for some people. Other people can tolerate the discomfort.

Once the provider can see the cervix, they will then gently stretch it open using thin metal rods that have been sterilized. The later you are in your pregnancy, the more the provider has to dilate (expand or open) the cervix.

If you are later in the pregnancy (12 weeks and over), you may receive a medication called Misoprostol to put in your cheeks for an hour and a half before the procedure. This medication helps make the procedure safer by dilating or opening your cervix.

If you are 14 weeks and over, you may have to do a 2 day procedure, during which you get dilators (sticks that sit in your cervix and slowly expand overnight) on the first day, then the abortion procedure on the second day. You may be given another medication called Mifepristone to help soften the cervix and make the procedure safer.