Abortions can be carried out in 2 ways, either surgically or pharmacologically by taking medication. Pharmacologically speaking, the secondary option is indicative of an induced miscarriage. Women can choose this option until 10 weeks into their pregnancy. The medication Mifepristone RU486 (pronounced “miff-eh-priss-stone”) was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2000, and allows women to undergo the abortion procedure within the privacy of their own home. Mifepristone is taken first which causes the process of an abortion to start by halting the growth process and detaching the infant from the womb. 24 hours later, Misoprostol (pronounced “miso-prah-stull”) helps to induce the cramping and bleeding which will help the body push the developing fetus out of the uterus. Most physicians offer intravenous sedation to help comfort those who undergo an uncomfortable and sometimes painful procedure with social stigma attached. Most patients prefer surgical abortion as it allows them to psychologically leave the abortion behind them, in the clinic. The procedure itself is incredibly safe and requires that a woman be placed into stirrups after which a physician performs a bimanual examination to feel the positioning of the uterus, a speculum is placed into position and the cervix is cleaned, a small clip is placed upon the top of the cervix so that the uterine canal is straight, after which the cervix is then dilated and the pregnancy is removed via suction. The entire process takes 2 – 5 minutes and complications are incredibly rare. One of the most important components of safety in terms of procedure is to ensure that all pregnancy tissue has been removed from the uterus. Physicians take any tissue removed, usually to a specialized room within the clinic, so that it can be rinsed off and examined in a dish with a backlight which allows for confirmation of all the tissue which should be present in respect to the length of gestation prior to the abortion procedure. This helps physicians monitor for possible complications which may arise in the future. Prior to 10 weeks, a fetus is a small sack of tissue with nothing recognizable as human, but after the 10 week mark, various bits of tissue become recognizable as human parts
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