Why teenagers?

Approximately eighteen percent of all U.S. women obtaining abortions are teenagers.

Ages 18 – 19: 11%
Ages 15 – 17:  6%
Younger than 15: less than 1%¹

Teens are more prone to complications arising from induced abortion because they “are more likely than older women to delay having an abortion until after 15 weeks of pregnancy, when the medical risks associated with abortion are significantly higher.”¹  According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the risk of death increases by 38% for each additional week of gestation.²  In other words, if the mortality rate from abortion-related complications is 1 in 100,000 at 8 weeks, it will be 1.38 in 100,000 at 9 weeks.

Nevertheless, your doctor should talk with you about the risks of any abortion to your future reproductive health as a teen, as well as the positive impact a full term pregnancy can have. For more information on the side-effects of abortion click here.

Why the higher risk of side-effects?

• Teens who are trying to hide their abortions are less likely to follow a post-abortion antibiotic regimen or return for a follow-up visit.
• The fact that teenagers generally have numerous sexual partners, lower levels of protective antibodies, and higher levels of estrogen may also play a role³.
• Adolescents are more likely to have Chlamydia and other related infections at the time of abortion³, which can result in PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). 
• The risk for ectopic pregnancy-related deaths due to PID are higher among teenagers who have had abortions.

If you're a teen facing unplanned pregnancy, schedule a free appointment to discuss your options today.

Approved for use in the US in September of 2000, mifepristone is a medication used in combination with misoprostol to facilitate 1st trimester abortion (medical abortion). While misoprostol causes the uterus to contract, mifepristone is responsible for blocking the action of the progesterone needed to sustain a pregnancy, causing changes in the uterine lining, detachment of the pregnancy, and opening of the cervix.¹

Between 2000 and 2005, there were over 208,000 legally induced medical abortions performed in the US². Over a 4-year span during that time, more than 600 Adverse Event Reports (AER) were submitted to the FDA regarding mifepristone-administered abortions.

Reported:

• 237 cases of hemorrhage: 1 fatal, 42 life threatening, and 168 serious; 68 required transfusions.
• 66 cases of infection: 7 cases of septic shock (3 fatal, 4 life threatening) and 43 cases requiring parenteral antibiotics.
• 513 cases required surgical intervention: (235 emergent, 278 non-emergent). Emergent cases included 17 ectopic pregnancies (11 ruptured).
• 22 cases reported second trimester viability (meaning the abortion was unsuccessful and the pregnancy carried into its 2nd term): of the 13 documented follow-ups, 9 were terminated without comment on the state of the fetus, and 3 fetuses were diagnosed with serious malformations, suggesting a malformation rate of 23%.

Hemorrhage and infection are the leading causes of mifepristone-related morbidity and mortality.³

All abortion procedures have associated risk. It’s important to determine your current medical condition before considering any type of abortion. Contact us for a free consultation.

The short answer is yes, it could.  However, there is much research that still needs to be done on this topic.  “Despite strong recommendations for substantive research, and the clear need for women to have accurate information as they execute their autonomy, current data remain sparse, studies are small and methodologically flawed, and the conclusions are often intertwined with the political agendas of their authors and publishers.”¹

Complications that can arise from induced abortion, such as infection and damage to the uterus, are the main cause of future risk to women.  In the case of medical abortion, the risks for these complications are increased  in women who have a high risk of uterine rupture; an intrauterine device (IUD) in place; uncontrolled high blood pressure; diabetes, certain heart or blood vessel diseases; severe liver, kidney or lung disease; take a blood thinner or certain steroid medications; or smoke heavily.²

First-trimester surgical abortion by dilation and curettage (D&C) “can result in uterine synechiae (or Asherman’s Syndrome), which increase the risk of subsequent midtrimester spontaneous abortions and low birthweight deliveries.”³  Incompetent cervix is also a preterm birth risk associated with surgical abortion. “Symptoms related to cervical incompetence were found among 75% of women who undergo forced dilation for abortion.”⁴

With any type of abortion, “if the abortion is infected or complicated by pre-existing and nontreated STD’s, risks of secondary infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and fetal loss increase.”⁵  Studies have consistently shown that induced abortion increases the incidence of subsequent preterm delivery and also depression⁶, which can ultimately effect a woman’s decision to have more children in the future.

CompassCare is a non-profit organization providing non-biased information that supports a woman’s truly informed choice.  Schedule a free consultation.

The illicit use of drugs - prescription, over-the-counter or illegal - during pregnancy can greatly affect the health of both the fetus and the mother.  If you’ve been using drugs and are pregnant, contact your health care provider right away.

Maternal Risks

• Studies show that women who use illegal drugs such as heroine, cocaine or marijuana during pregnancy are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis and HIV.  STD’s pose serious risks to the mother, including damage to reproductive organs, compromised future fertility, cancers, and even death.
• Women who use street drugs are also more likely to have psychiatric and emotional disorders, pregnancy-related bleeding, and other pregnancy complications.¹
• Women who smoke are twice as likely to experience premature rupture of membranes (water breaks early), placental abruption, and placenta previa during pregnancy.²

Fetal Risks

• In-utero drug exposure can result in delayed fetal development, nutritional deficiencies, hypertension, life-threatening vascular issues and spontaneous abortion.³
• Infants who are born to women who abuse drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, are at a greater risk for withdrawal symptoms, delayed social development, congenital malformations, SIDS,⁴ and FAS.⁵
• Because of the potential consequences to the unborn, 15 states actually consider substance abuse during pregnancy child abuse.⁶

If you’re pregnant and concerned about your use of drugs, contact us for a free consultation.

Although the threshold for pain differs for each individual, the majority of women who have an abortion report pain associated with the experience, even with anesthetic.¹

Below are actual comments from women who have experienced medical (the "abortion pill") or surgical abortions. Pain can range from mild to moderate to extreme in each case. Everyone's experience is unique.

Surgical Abortion

"When they take you into the room they give you a light sedative and numb your cervix. The pressure from the needle is slightly painful but quick. If you are lucky you can get a doctor that can dilate you quickly before the numbness wares off. You will feel cramping from the suction..."
- Shadowlove, eHealth Forum

"The pain was absolutely horrible, a lot worse than I thought it would be... The process itself was indeed about three minutes, after it was done I felt very light-headed and experienced more cramps while re-cooperating."
- Sistahisme, eHealth Forum

"...it was a lot of sucking and cramping. Very very uncomfortable. It wasn't the most painful thing, but it did hurt a little bit with the cramping... I had more cramping and lots of blood clots for about 7-10 days."
- Nebraska Girl, Yahoo Answers

"She sprays something then numbs my cervix. Who knew that had so much feeling! Then I think what she did was dilate me. With some instruments. It felt like an intense period cramp..and again..and again. Then the tube went in... I had about 3 waves of intense cramp pain and breathing deep helped to get through those waves it was the most intense pain I've ever felt."
- notwhatyouthink, Experience Project

Medical Abortion

"I have had 4 "pill" abortions. They were all very painful, worse than the labor I experienced with my son. I bled for weeks on end, and had to take time off from work/school..."
- Twentysomethingmomma, eHealth Forum

"The bleeding and cramping was much worse than a normal period."
- mylobatis, eHealthForum

"What you experience is actual contractions... I was in so much pain I couldn't lie down or stand up, I didn't know what to do with myself. I kept going to the toilet as I was so restless and I still hadn't even started bleeding yet. I went back to my bed and was sick..."
- bexybex, soFeminine Blog

"Yeah it hurt which I why I'm so glad I got the strong painkiller. It pretty much knocked me out for about 3 hours. When I woke up I didn't feel anything (aka the abortion was complete)."
- Juniper Sage, Yahoo Answers

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Providers often will not furnish a full range of facts when prescribing Combined Oral Contraceptives (COC), basing the information given on their own professional opinion rather than a well-balanced presentation of the data available.  Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to read the fine print.

Types of Oral Contraceptives
There are two main types of oral contraceptives: Progestin Only Pills (POP) and estrogen-progestogen pills (COC, or combined oral contraceptives).  Of these, COC’s are far more commonly prescribed. “Worldwide, more than 100 million women – about 10% of all women of reproductive age – currently use combined hormonal contraceptives”.¹

How COC’s Work
Combined oral contraceptives are blend of synthetic estrogen and progesten.  Unlike other forms of contraception that prevent sperm-egg contact, COC’s use a very different, 3-fold approach to birth control. The Physician’s Desk Reference states, “although the primary mechanism of [combination oral contraceptives] is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus, which increase the difficulty of sperm entry into the uterus, and changes in the endometrium, which reduce the likelihood of implantation.”²  In other words, if the pill’s first two methods - inhibited ovulation and thick cervical mucus - fail to deter fertilization, its final measure of defense will cause any fertilized eggs to be prematurely aborted.

Efficiency Ratings
The pill is 92–99% effective at preventing pregnancy with perfect use.³  With typical use, 8 out of 100 women using a COC will become unintentionally pregnant each year.⁴  Common medications can decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, including certain types of antibiotics and particularly, St. John's wort. COC Health Risks One thing your doctor probably didn’t tell you is that the estrogen in COC’s is a known human carcinogen, listed among such cancer-causing agents as arsenic, tobacco and asbestos.⁵  According to the National Cancer Institute, COC’s “increase a woman's risk of cervical cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer."⁶  The prevalence of HPV, a leading cause of cervical cancer, is also found to be higher among oral contraceptive users.⁷

Smoking while using COC’s increases your risk of heart attack, blood clots and stroke, especially in those over 35 years of age.  You are up to 8 times more likely than a non-user to develop a blood clot, even if you don’t smoke.  The risk is up to 3 times greater for those who use COC’s containing a progesterone called drospirenone.⁸

Schedule your free consultation.

Although condoms may help to reduce the risk of contracting STD’s in general, the fact is that they cannot protect you from specific types of infections.  For example, in the case of genital ulcer diseases (such as herpes and syphilis) and HPV (human papillomavirus), “latex condoms can only protect against transmission when the ulcers or infections are in genital areas that are covered or protected by the condom.”¹  Contagions are often present in the area surrounding the condom, even when visible signs of infection are not present.  In these cases, condoms are useless against the transmission of the disease.

It should also be noted that non-latex condoms do not protect against STD’s at all.  Trojan labeling states that, “natural membrane condoms only help to protect against pregnancy and are not recommended for the prevention of STDs.”  For those who are thinking about using polyurethane condoms, studies are still “being done to determine the risks of pregnancy and STDs, including HIV infection (AIDS)”.²

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, many of the available studies intended to prove the efficacy of any kind of condom are simply “not designed or conducted in ways that allow for accurate measurement of condom effectiveness”.³  Simply put, the accuracy of what has been published cannot be measured against your individual circumstances and personal risk.

Total abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed method of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy.

Despite the advocacy of condom use to reduce your risk of acquiring an STD, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states, “there's no absolute guarantee even when you use a condom”.  Even the CDC does not embrace the term safe sex, calling it “less risky” sex instead.1

What they also fail to mention is what “risky” really means.  As determined by the National Institutes of Health, “overall, the condom's effectiveness at preventing HIV transmission is estimated to be 87%, but it may vary between 60% and 96%”.2  These numbers don't even factor in the element of exposure over time.

In an International Planned Parenthood Federation Medical Bulletin, the author, Willard Cates, states that, “the risk of contracting AIDS during so-called ‘protected sex’ approaches 100 percent as the number of episodes of sexual intercourse increases.”  According to the graph submitted by Cates below, you will inevitably, eventually contract HIV/AIDS, even with perfect condom use.

Risk of contracting HIV) vs. Exposure (the number of sexual encounters). Note how the right side of the ellipse (“protected sex”)
rises to meet the left (“unprotected sex”) at a point which represents 100% risk.3

HIV is one of over 25 sexually transmitted infections that can have a serious impact on your future reproductive and overall health, especially if left untreated.  Pregnant women are particularly at risk.  The only way to avoid contracting a potentially deadly infection is to abstain from sexual activities.

Find out more about common STD’s and their related conditions here.

Concerned about your sexual or reproductive health? Schedule your free consultation.

What’s your contraceptive of choice?  Most women select their birth control method based simply on what best fits their lifestyle.  However, you might be surprised to learn that they’re not all as safe as you think.  In fact, your birth control’s safety and effectiveness depends on more than just the method you choose.

The main categories of birth control are:

• Barrier - Uses a combination of physical and chemical barriers to prevent sperm from entering the uterus.
   
• Hormonal - Uses hormones via pill, injection, patch or cervical ring, to prevent ovulation and/or create an uninhabitable environment for a fertilized egg.
   
• Natural Family Planning, Withdrawal & Abstinence - Uses no artificial means to prevent pregnancy.  Family planning involves practicing abstinence during the time of ovulation.  Withdrawal requires the man to back out prior to ejaculation.  Abstinence is the total refrain from sex.
   
• Sterilization - Fallopian tubes (tubal ligation) or vas deferens (vasectomy) are surgically closed to block the release of eggs and sperm.

Most methods of birth control claim to be over 95% effective with perfect use. However, the typical user is far from perfect, according to a recent study published by the Guttmacher Institute.¹

Average Rate of Failure Based on Typical Usage

Most forms of birth control come with risks and side effects that you should be aware of. Total abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed method of avoiding unwanted pregnancy and STD’s.

Think you might be pregnant?  Schedule your free consultation.

Pregnancy begins at conception, when an egg is fertilized by the sperm. Conception usually occurs in the fallopian tube. In a healthy pregnancy the zygote implants somewhere in the uterine wall. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg (zygote)  most commonly implants in the fallopian tube. However, ectopic pregnancy can also occur in the ovary, the abdomen, and the cervical canal (the opening from the uterus to the vaginal canal). The phrases tubal pregnancy, ovarian pregnancy, cervical pregnancy, and abdominal pregnancy refer to the specific area of an ectopic pregnancy.¹

In the early stages, symptoms may be the same as with any normal pregnancy, including missed period, swollen or tender breasts, increased fatigue, nausea, and increased urination.  However, as the pregnancy progresses, the embryo may outgrow its the surroundings causing pelvic or abdominal pain and sometimes light-headedness or fainting. It’s important to always follow up a positive home pregnancy test with your health care professional to ensure that the pregnancy is normal.  An ultrasound can be performed to confirm the presence of a fetal sac in the uterus.

Ectopic pregnancies are not viable, meaning they cannot naturally continue, and if not addressed could cause serious harm or death to both the mother and child. Surgery is required to remove the fetus and repair or remove any damaged surrounding tissues. If not caught early, ectopic pregnancies can cause internal hemorrhaging and may be fatal. Fortunately, ectopic pregnancies are rare and occur in only approximately 1% of pregnancies (Ectopic Risk).

Schedule a free consultation.