There is a lot of confusion on abortion procedures. Many think they know what procedures are done and why, when they truly haven't a clue. Many seem to think that you can get an elective abortion all the way up to the time you give birth, while others think that "partial birth" abortions involve birthing a living and conscious fetus, and then having the doc stab it in the head and suck its brains out. These things are not true at all. This hub is dedicated to educating the ignorant and giving the curious a little information.

In the first trimester, or the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, there are two options when it comes to abortions. There is medical abortions and surgical.

The medical abortion can only be done in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. This is how it works.

• The first dose, called Mifepristone, is given to the woman either orally or through an injection at the office of the abortion provider. This dose stops the development of the embryo by blocking progesterone.
• The second dose, called Misoprostal, is given either orally or vaginally about 48 hours later. This causes contractions and the expelling of the embryo and uterine lining. This process can take from a few hours to complete, or even up to two weeks.
• The woman returns to her doctor in two weeks for an exam to make sure the abortion has been completed.

The surgical procedure can be done from 6 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is called suction aspiration and is done as follows.

• Your doctor may give you a painkiller, or they may give you a sedative that will not "put you out", but it will relax you and make the procedure painless.
• Your cervix may be numbed before the procedure.
• A soft and flexible tube, called a canula is placed in the cervix.
• The canula is connected to a suction machine that gently suctions out the pregnancy. This takes between 3 and 5 minutes to complete.

Second trimester abortions are rare, meaning that out of all abortions performed, these procedures make up less than 10%. There are several reasons why a woman will obtain a second trimester termination.

• She may not have been aware of her pregnancy
• She may have had to raise the money for her procedure
• The fetus may be fatally ill
• Her life may be in danger due to the pregnancy

There are three options when it comes to second trimester abortions.

The first procedure that is offered is called Dilation and Evacuation, or D&E. The procedure takes about two days and is performed as such;

On the first day,

• The woman is given a sonogram to determine fetal age and the position of her uterus.
• The cervix is numbed using an injection.
• Laminera, which is a seaweed based dilator is place in the cervix. This causes the cervix to dilate by absorbing liquid.

The second day

• The cervix is once again numbed through injection, and the woman may be given sedation or painkillers.
• The laminara is removed, having successfuly dilated the cervix.
• The doctor then uses a combination of suction and forceps to dismember and remove the fetus, placenta and other pregnancy tissue.
• The procedure lasts from 10 to 15 minutes.

This procedure may appear to be barbaric, may appear to be painful for the fetus involved, but the medical community has concluded that a fetus is incapable of feeling pain until 24-26 weeks gestation. Also, the anesthesia or painkillers given to the woman travel across the placenta and affect the fetus as well. It was stated that the procedure takes about two days, but many doctors are able to do the procedure in one day.

Another procedure that is offered is called an Intact D&X. This procedure has been coined "Partial birth" by the pro-life camp to bring forth emotion. There is no birth involved in the procedure, nor is there a flailing fetus involved. This procedure is usually done at 20 weeks or later. The procedure is completed in 2 days and is done as follows

The first day

• The woman is given a sonogram to determine fetal age, and is also counseled on her choice. Some clinics may euthanize the fetus with a shot of digoxin, which stops the fetal heart.
• The cervix is numbed through injection.
• Laminara is placed in the cervix to dilate it.

The second day

• The cervix is once again numbed and the woman may be given anesthesia or an epidural.
• The fetus is rotated to a breech position.
• The doctor then extracts the fetus up to the neck, the fetal head remaining in the birth canal
• The doctor then collapses the skull by suctioning the brain matter through a hole in the neck made surgically.
• The fetus is then removed and the rest of the pregnancy material is then suctioned from the uterus.

Once again, this procedure MAY sound barbaric and painful for the fetus, but just like D&E abortions, the anesthesia given to the woman affects the fetus as well, or the fetus is euthanized prior.

Labor and Delivery abortions, or L&D are done when a pregnancy was wanted, but something went terribly wrong. Either the fetus has died, or is dying of a fatal condition. These women want to hold these feoti and grieve. The procedure goes as follows;

• The fetus may be euthanized prior if alive and the clinic or doctor offers this service.
• Pitocin is given to the woman to induce labor.
• Membranes may be stripped.
• The woman goes into labor and delivers a stillborn or dying fetus that she may hold and comfort.

Late term abortions are rare, like mentioned earlier. Most clinics will not offer late-term procedures unless there is a valid reason for this procedure. Abortions beyond 24 weeks can ONLY be done for fetal anomoly or to preserve maternal health.