Ultrasound Before an Abortion?

As an empowered woman, you deserve to make your decision based on facts and unbiased information. The decision to terminate a pregnancy should start with an ultrasound to tell you how far along you are, where the pregnancy is located, and if the pregnancy is viable. All of these factors will determine the type of abortion procedure you can have.

All abortion clinics do not have the capacity to offer an ultrasound before an abortion, and the ones that are equipped, charge a fee for the service or require you to use your health insurance.

At the Rockville Women’s Center, there is no charge for all of the services that we offer to you. If you are considering an abortion, we are able to provide a free, viability ultrasound after you have a positive pregnancy test, all at absolutely no cost to you.

Here are a few things to consider as you decide whether or not you want to have an ultrasound.

An ultrasound helps to determine if your positive pregnancy test is really a living, growing fetus or just a response of hormones from a miscarriage.  If there is not a living growing fetus, then going through the process of having an abortion is not needed. The benefits here are clear: you can relax, breathe, and move on without having an abortion; you have no physical risk from having an abortion, and you don’t have to pay for an abortion.

If an abortion is performed (whether by the abortion pills or surgery), it will not end a pregnancy growing outside of the uterus, known as an ectopic pregnancy (and sometimes known as a tubal pregnancy, if growing specifically in the fallopian tube).  If undetected (and especially if not suspected, thinking the abortion ended the pregnancy), an ectopic pregnancy can be a dangerous medical situation.  An ultrasound looks for where the pregnancy is located.

Abortion procedures vary depending on how far along the pregnancy is.  Ultrasound measurement of the fetus in the first trimester is the most accurate method to establish or confirm gestational age.

If you think you are pregnant and you are considering an abortion, make an appointment with the Rockville Women’s Center today. Get your questions answered and the services you need at absolutely no cost to you.