How to Abort Teenagers

You must have panicked when you found out you were pregnant. Perhaps you are not ready to be a mother, or your health is not ready for a healthy pregnancy. If you need to terminate your pregnancy, you may want to consider abortion. However, you need to be aware of the possible effects, and remember to put your health and safety first.

Table of Contents

Consider options

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Determine that you are pregnant. Missing periods is a common symptom of pregnancy, but it’s not a sure sign. You may suspect you’re pregnant when you miss your period, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like nausea or breast tenderness. If you think you are pregnant, you should take a home pregnancy test. Many pregnancy test kits are said to be very accurate and are widely available in pharmacies. ^{[1] X Trusted Source HealthyChildren.org Go to Source}

If you are still in school, the school health department can provide you with a pregnancy test.
If the pregnancy test is positive, you should see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. At-home pregnancy tests are fairly reliable, but in-clinic tests are the best way to determine for sure if you’re pregnant. Please see a doctor as soon as possible.

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Consider whether it is safe to disclose your pregnancy. If your family or community is extremely conservative, it may be dangerous to let people know you’re pregnant, especially if you’re considering an abortion. Don’t put yourself at risk of physical abuse, verbal abuse, or being evicted from your home if you think these things might happen.

If you’re afraid to tell family members, you can pretend to go “camping” or “travel” and secretly have an abortion. (Think about having a trusted friend who can come along and witness for you.) Take care in signing documents, and make it clear to the hospital that you do not want your family members and GPs to know.
You may not be well after an abortion. People around you may think you have a cold or the flu.

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Consult your doctor if you feel safe. Once you’ve been diagnosed by your doctor as pregnant, you’ll probably have a lot of questions to ask. Your doctor is a very helpful resource for you. Your body will change dramatically during pregnancy, so it’s a good idea to ask your doctor about what you can go through even if you don’t intend to keep pregnant. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Your doctor will examine you and may do some blood tests or an ultrasound.
Ask your doctor to estimate how long you’ve been pregnant. Many jurisdictions have laws that allow or disallow abortions based on gestational age. Usually, abortion is safest during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Performing tricks

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Find a suitable medical facility. Once you’ve decided to have an abortion, you need to make sure it’s done in a safe and hygienic medical facility. Your gynecologist can perform this procedure, but if not, ask your doctor to recommend a place you can go to for the procedure. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

In the US, you can find Planned Parenthood. This organization offers comprehensive fertility services and will be a great source of support for you (even if you decide to keep the pregnancy).
Be sure to find out if the medical facility you call actually offers abortions. Some family planning organizations do this, but there are many “helping women with unwanted pregnancies” centers that often try to scare you and trick you into not having an abortion. Just a simple question over the phone and you will get the answer.
There are two ways to have an abortion. One is to do surgery in a medical facility, and the other is to take medicine prescribed by a doctor. When you find a hospital that offers abortions, discuss these two options with them.
Ask your hospital about abortion laws in your area. Some facilities require a minor’s permission from a parent or guardian before an abortion can be performed. However, sometimes you can ask the court to waive this requirement. Ask your healthcare provider about regulations in your area.

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Talk to your parents. If you’re under 18, you may need parental permission to have an abortion, depending on where you live. You can find information by asking your medical center about this law. Either way, you should probably still discuss it with your parents. Hopefully your parents will be a useful source of support for you. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Choose an appropriate time and place to talk to your parents. You need to talk in a private place and not be interrupted. Ask your parents if it’s convenient to talk at this time to make sure your parents aren’t distracted.
Try to stay calm and honest. Express your feelings and needs clearly.

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Arrange for the procedure without parental consent. Many places require parental guaranty, but you can still have a legal abortion without parental consent. If your parents don’t sign the bail, or if you’re scared or can’t tell them, you need a court order to get rid of them. In this case, the court will issue consent on behalf of the parents. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

The family planning center has information about getting court approvals and can help you with the process. You can also call the national abortion counseling hotline. They can help you learn the necessary steps.
The parental sponsorship rule does not apply if you are married, have children, or have an emergency.

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Find a support person. If you feel like you can’t talk to your parents, find someone you can trust to talk to. Even if you have decided to have an abortion, it can still be an emotionally tumultuous experience. It would be helpful to have a support system in place during this difficult time. Be calm and rational when talking, and let them know that you need their help. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Try to find a trusted relative or friend and ask that person to accompany you to the medical facility. You may need support after the procedure – you may not be able to drive home if you are sedated during the procedure, and you may also need a comforter to get you through this.

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Prepare for the trick. As you prepare to go to the clinic, you need to know how much the procedure will cost. In the US, the average cost of an abortion is about $800. The cost of surgery can be up to 1,500 USD for an abortion in the first 3 months of pregnancy. It’s best to be prepared and think about how you’re going to cover this expense. This will reduce your stress on the day of the procedure. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Many medical centers apply a tiered fee schedule. This means your income and ability will be taken into account in the fee calculation. Often the cost to pay will be significantly reduced.
If you can’t make a one-time payment, you can ask your doctor if you can pay in installments.
Try to schedule the procedure on a day when you don’t have to go to school or work, so that you have at least one day to rest and recuperate.

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Know what’s going to happen. Before you go to the hospital, you need to know if you will be taking medicine or having an abortion. The medical abortion method is usually used if the pregnancy is less than 9 weeks and is up to 97% effective. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you’re having an abortion, you should also know about the procedure in advance. There are two types of surgical abortion: vacuum aspiration and D&E (dilation and expulsion). Ask your doctor what procedure you will have.
Before both procedures, you may be given medication to relax. Before performing vacuum aspiration, the doctor will examine and numb the cervix, then the fetus will be aspirated with a vacuum device. This procedure takes about 5-10 minutes. Note that you also need more time before and after the procedure to complete the application and discuss with the doctor.
The dilation and expulsion procedure also begins with the doctor examining the uterus and numbing the cervix. The cervix will be dilated with medication or liquids, then the doctor will use a vacuum tube to clean the uterus. This procedure will take about 20 minutes as it takes more time to prepare the uterus.

Coping with post-abortion effects

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Understand the physical recovery process. After an abortion, you need to follow your doctor’s instructions during your recovery. You may have bleeding or feel contractions in your uterus for up to 1 week after the procedure. Your doctor can give you pain medication to deal with the physical effects. ^{[11] X Trusted Source University of California San Francisco Health Center Go to Source}

You will also be prescribed antibiotics to fight the infection.
Contact your doctor right away if you experience heavy bleeding or contractions that cause severe pain. You should also call your doctor if you start to have a fever in the days after your procedure, or if you have a very thick or foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

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Be aware of your emotions. After an abortion, it is natural for you to have mixed emotions. Some people feel almost relief, others have more complex emotions, such as sadness, grief, or confusion. ^{[12] X Research Source} No matter how you feel, give yourself time and space to feel.

Abortion is a very personal experience. Don’t be embarrassed if you become overly emotional afterwards. Understand and accept your feelings.

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Find help. While it’s normal to be emotional after an abortion, make sure your spirit is recovering. This is even more important when you’re in your teens, because you’ve just gone through a lot of changes in your life. If you notice persistent feelings of sadness, guilt, or anger, it may be time to seek help. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Sometimes you will feel more relieved talking to a loved one or friend, but there are times when the problem becomes more serious. In this case, ask your doctor to refer you to a psychologist or a support group. Remember that you are not alone.

Warning

Make sure that the abortion procedure is performed by an experienced doctor.
Remember to follow your doctor’s instructions during your recovery.
With strict abortion laws in the US, you may feel desperate, even thinking about trying a home abortion. Never put yourself in a dangerous situation in any way. A home abortion can be deadly or lead to complications with lifelong consequences. You need a qualified doctor to do this.

Steps

Consider options

Performing tricks

Coping with post-abortion effects

Warning

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