First Trimester Abortion Safety By Week
Pill abortions that occur early in a pregnancy have a low risk of complication. The risk of complications, including incomplete abortion, increases as the pregnancy continues to develop. For example, pregnancies less than 9 weeks have a complication rate of less than 1%, while pregnancies between 10-13 weeks have a complication rate up to 3%.
What Will You See During An Abortion Between 10-13 Weeks?
A medical abortion will cause bleeding. This bleeding can be heavier than your normal period and may include clots. In an abortion between 10-13 weeks, it’s possible to see something that may be recognizable as the pregnancy, or may look like tissue or blood clot. This is normal and should not alarm you. It is a sign that the abortion is proceeding as expected. As with a heavy period, you can safely dispose of larger blood clots or tissue in the toilet. If you live in a country where abortion or the abortion pills are illegal, make sure you dispose of anything recognizable carefully and discreetly.
Authors:
- All content featured on this website is written by the HowToUseAbortionPill.org team in compliance with standards and protocols from The National Abortion Federation, Ipas, the World Health Organization, DKT International and carafem.
- The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers in North America, and a leader in the pro-choice movement. Content on HowToUseAbortionPill.org is aligned with the 2020 Clinical Policy Guidelines released by NAF.
- Ipas is the only international organization solely focused on expanding access to safe abortion and contraceptive care. Content on HowToUseAbortionPill.org is aligned with the Clinical Updates In Reproductive Health 2019 released by Ipas.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Content on HowToUseAbortionPill.org is aligned with the 2012 Safe abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems released by WHO.
- DKT International is a registered, non-profit organization founded in 1989 to focus the power of social marketing on some of the largest countries with the greatest needs for family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and safe abortion.
- carafem is a clinic network providing convenient and professional abortion care and family planning so people can control the number and spacing of their children.
References:
- “Safe abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems.” World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70914/;jsessionid=B7AEEBE4F34809D869F73B1ABA7F6221?sequence=1
- “Clinical updates in reproductive health.” Ipas. https://www.ipas.org/resource/clinical-updates-in-reproductive-health/
- “Clinical policy guidelines for abortion care.” National Abortion Federation (NAF). https://5aa1b2xfmfh2e2mk03kk8rsx-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018_CPGs.pdf
- “How do you know if you have an incomplete abortion?” Women on Web. https://www.womenonweb.org/en/page/477/how-do-you-know-if-you-have-an-incomplete-abortion