Are you considering abortion as the outcome of your unexpected pregnancy? Before you decide, these three essentials are needed to make a confident decision. 

• Pregnancy Testing
• Ultrasound
• Options Information

Getting these three things before an abortion can help you prioritize your safety. 

Pregnancy Test

While this may seem obvious, you first need a high-quality pregnancy test. Pregnancy symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose pregnancy. 

While home pregnancy tests are usually accurate, they can return false responses if used too early or if the instructions are not followed correctly.

Take the guesswork out of pregnancy testing by getting free pregnancy testing at the Southern Ohio Pregnancy Center. 

Ultrasound

• An ultrasound is likely the most important step before an abortion. This simple test gives you and your provider the information needed to understand which options are available to you. The ultrasound provides three crucial pieces of information about your pregnancy.
• Viability: Is your pregnancy growing with a heartbeat? Around 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. It is possible for a woman to still receive a positive pregnancy test result for a few weeks after a pregnancy stops growing. Miscarriages may resolve independently with no medical intervention, making an abortion an unnecessary medical procedure.
• Date: How far along is your pregnancy? The length of your pregnancy partially determines which procedures you are eligible for. For example, the FDA has only approved medical abortions for pregnancies under 10 weeks.
• Location: Is your pregnancy in your uterus? In a condition called ectopic pregnancy, an embryo attaches somewhere in the body other than the uterine wall. This condition can cause life-threatening complications if not addressed, so diagnosis through ultrasound is critical. Abortion is not a treatment for ectopic pregnancy.

Get a free ultrasound referral from the Southern Ohio Pregnancy Center.

Options Information

Do you understand all your options? Are you familiar with the resources available to help you? Before proceeding with an abortion, learn more about the procedures available and their associated risks. Understand your alternatives to abortion. Inform yourself about resources that may make the other options possible. 

The Southern Ohio Pregnancy Center provides options counseling so you can feel confident in your decision.  

Let Us Know How We Can Help

Reach out to us with any questions you have surrounding your unexpected pregnancy. We’re here to help!