Let’s take a moment and appreciate the perfectly civil scientific practice called abortion1. Abortion has come along a long way, fighting against all the odds. It’s no longer a taboo, or there are no traditional beliefs afloat against the practice of sex and abortion. If you’re getting one, you’re a smart individual, and this article will be your guide regarding how much is an abortion. So, plan it strategically and in a way that it is cost-effective.
How Much Is An Abortion On Early Stages Of Pregnancy?
There are various stages of pregnancy, and how much is an abortion varies accordingly.
The safest period of terminating the pregnancy2 is at its earliest stage – during the first trimester. The first trimester means twelve weeks, and the cost of abortion during this period is much less. That’s because there are usually no surgeries involved! The process can be carried using medication.
Medical Abortions
Medical abortion involves the intake of two pills – mifepristone (Mifeprex) and misoprostol (Cytotec)3. The tablets are consecutively taken over 72 hours to ensure abortion. The first pill is taken in the abortion clinic, and the second one is consumed after a particular gap that varies from 4hours to 4 days after.
You can take mifepristone in the doctor’s chamber orally. Mifepristone contains antiprogesterone elements that result in uterus contraction within one to two days after its consumption. Misoprostol can either be taken orally or pushed inside the vagina. It helps in plunging out the pregnancy by uterus contraction. This procedure terminates the pregnancy within five days.
After the consumption of the first pill, chances of spot bleeding and cramps may occur. The intake of misoprostol shows signs like heavy bleeding (a good sign) and heavy cramps, sometimes accompanied by nausea and diarrhea. It is advisable to carry extra-large sanitary napkins to withhold the heavy flow and hot water compress for comfort.
How much is abortion, then? It varies from around 300$ to 900$. Some factors determine how much is an abortion. Certain health insurance companies cover the cost of an abortion. You should consult your insurance provider to check whether the policies would cover medical abortion partially or wholly.
In case you cannot make use of your insurance benefits due to personal reasons, you can look for service providers around your area that help in covering abortion costs. This minimizes the worry about how much is an abortion.
Many people, especially teenagers, often face the issue of affordability. Many insurance companies do not cover abortion costs. In that case, look for government-aided health insurance plans, namely Medicaid, that covers the cost. These depend majorly on where you live and how your service providers work.
Non-Government Organizations like Planned Parenthood has health centers in several local areas. You can consult them for information regarding how much abortion is, with or without the aid of funds. They provide services that charge way less than usual in case you cannot afford it.
After the dawn of Covid-19, it’s not quite safe to travel around visiting clinics. In such cases, there is a provision for medical abortion conducted through a video call. Expert doctors, nurses guide you through the procedure. A steady internet connection and a webcam are required. This video conference procedure is carried with the utmost safety and privacy. The method of tele abortion has reduced the cost of medical abortion to a reasonable amount.
Planned Parenthood Federation, in collaboration with Gynuity Health Projects, has arranged this research activity, which has recently been carried out only in certain US states.
A message of solidarity and support is spread across regarding the woman’s choice for an abortion. There are clinics that are run by non-judgmental doctors and nurses who hold no prejudice towards an abortion. Often, you may stumble across pregnancy crisis centers while looking for abortion centres. You should run away from these centers as they are hostile towards getting an abortion and may pester you to change your opinion!
How Much Is An Abortion Surgically?
Surgical abortions4 usually opt at a later stage: an early stage of the second trimester or later, about 14 weeks or later. There are two methods of surgical abortion – Aspiration abortion (also called vacuum abortion) and Dilation & Evacuation Abortion (also called the D&E method)
Vacuum Abortion
Vacuum abortion5 is for terminating pregnancy at the early stage of the second trimester, usually in 14-16 weeks. You have to pay a visit to a medical clinic to undergo the process. This method of abortion is applicable only up to 15 weeks of pregnancy at the latest. Vacuum Abortions are the most common kind of surgical abortion, ensuring a safe and complete abortion. Most women who can afford surgical abortion often choose Vacuum abortion instead of medical abortions.
The usual time taken for the process to complete is almost four hours, although it can be more or less. It takes ten to fifteen minutes to perform the surgery.
The patient is given a sedative to relax the cervix muscles, along with pain-reducing medication. Local anesthesia is performed as the doctor inserts a speculum to examine your cervix. For stretching the cervix, dilators are used. After stretching the cervix, the doctor inserts a tube (called a cannula) with a suction device through the uterus. The vacuum gently removes the tissue from the uterus.
You have to lie on your back to undergo surgery. This is the best-ensured method of abortion. Antibiotics are given to prevent any occurrence of infection. Sometimes, women face cramps post-surgery, but the pain subsides.
After the surgery is complete, irregular bleeding or spotting may occur up to 2 weeks. Soon after the completion, you have to rest your body. This also includes refraining from having sex for about a week.
There will be a follow-up appointment with the doctor to make sure that the abortion was successful.
How much is an abortion surgically remains a question? Surgical abortion guarantees 98% of successful abortion, and it costs a tad higher than medical methods. In the case of Vacuum Abortion, it costs around 450-950$. It’s cheaper than D&E and is also preferred over medical abortion.
Dilation & Evacuation Abortion
This method is typically applied to those who are pregnant over 15 weeks. Dilation & Evacuation6, as the name suggests, requires dilation of the cervix and evacuating tissues from the uterus. The method is similar to Vacuum abortion but requires more time, patience, and tools to complete.
If you are pregnant for 15-23 weeks, your uterus requires added preparation for the uterus to stretch and let the tissues flow out. Additional methods are applied in advance for the dilation of the cervix. That takes two to three days, depending on the stage you’re in. After dilation, a tube is pushed through the cervix till the uterus and suction are performed to evacuate the uterus.
This method is very safe and a little time-consuming. The surgery takes fifteen to twenty minutes, and a follow-up visit to the clinic is mandatory, as per the doctor’s guidance.
D&E Abortion is costlier than Vacuum abortion. It can take from 1500-3000$ or more, depending on the state you’re in, the help center and insurance policies, etc.
Post-D&E abortion, you need to take ample rest before jumping back to your heels.
Symptoms like nausea, dizziness, spot bleeding, and clot bleeding are common. However, if there are any signs of infection or prolonged sickness, you shouldn’t delay consulting a doctor.
Security And Coverage In Abortions
The palpitation often occurs among younger people about how much is an abortion. The cost of abortion depends on which state you’re residing in and how the concept of abortion is treated by its government. Abortion is still quite a controversial subject, and in some states, it has a leash around its law. In the US, Abortion Law was passed in 1973, and 9 states in the US still prohibit abortion. Besides the political dilemma, abortion has become quite popular and accepted in most states.
The choice to abort lies solely at the discretion of the woman. In many cases, pregnancy is caused as a result of rape, and women choose to go for abortion. Young women face privacy and affordability issues to cope with abortion. There are health insurance policies that take care of abortion costs. You should consult with the concerned authority to know about your insurance benefits.
Planned Parenthood offers insurance plans in various states to cover for abortions in case you have trouble covering the cost. Their enrollment experts will provide you all the information regarding insurance plans based on your financial background and current income.
If you don’t fall under their Title X Program (an arrangement for those whose income is meager), but you’re uninsured, Planned Parenthood offers a sliding fee scale, i.e., on the evaluation of your income, your abortion cost will be cut down. This is a huge help for most of the young adults who face troubles bearing their abortion fees.
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation Of America is a Non-Profit Organization that runs in the USA and also globally. They provide reproductive health care and all other aids through an active network of centers.
Planned Parenthood offers help in covering abortions through insurance aids, provide you the contact of your nearest abortion clinic. They provide the utmost security, and all your data are privately archived. General health care services, how much is an abortion, STD treatment, sexual health are taken care of. Their vast network is accessible and along with convenient service.
The Guttmacher Institute
Guttmacher Institute is a leading research institute that majorly investigates and analyses how much is an abortion in the US and the developing countries. The institute probes into unsafe abortions, well being of women, and analyses conditions of abortion that take place in various countries.
The Guttmacher Institute works towards providing access to abortion rights and studies the overall health, social and economic conditions of the women undertaking abortion. In many places, the factor of how much is abortion is relevant, along with health and other underlying conditions of women. Why they are getting an abortion, how safe is the surroundings to take abortion, and how will the conditions of unsafe abortions be uplifted are the significant concerns.
According to WHO, unsafe abortions, owing to environmental hazards due to ‘minimal medical standard’ or a person’s lack of understanding and desire or both lead to the death of 47,000 women all over, leaving millions disabled and depraved.
The cost that unsafe abortions bear is huge, and many women face hindrance. Guttmacher Institute helps to provide aid and access to safe abortions at a minimal or zero rates, depending on the person’s health and financial overall.
The policy and estimate of Guttmacher Institute about how much is an abortion, the rate, and health conditions of women are more reliable than any federal sources. It also examines abortion laws and the evolution of those laws. The progressive approach also works through resisting laws that prevent abortion to ensure safe abortion.
The lower-middle economic countries enlisted under WHO have about 21 million pregnancies, out of which 50% are undesired, according to study. The sexual and reproductive health care of these women, including abortion services and contraception, would be 1$ per capita per year as the cost of meeting these services. This could drop death rates, unwanted pregnancy, and uplift the health care.
The underprivileged conditions prevalent in these countries often force women to ignore their safe health and are pushed towards unsafe conditions of living. Guttmacher works for these developments in global and regional levels of government in various countries.
Also Read: https://www.icytales.com/breastfeeding-myths-and-realities/
Overall Health Care And Awareness
Abortion is a sensitive issue that is still a taboo in most developing countries. A woman’s health should be prioritized instead of her character when she is facing such a crisis. The hush-hush regarding abortion often prevents the woman from taking the big step towards her security.
The cost of abortion in many countries is kept moderate, and many health centers and NGOs work towards minimizing the tension of how much is abortion is narrowed down to cost cuts and major mental and economic support.
Also Read: https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2006/08/abortion-and-mental-health-myths-and-realities
The mental and sexual health of underprivileged women should be given the utmost care and attention. The need for sex education and contraception should be preached from an early age among the youth, to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Instead of otherizing and isolation, the woman must be given support from the community and family. For that, proper sexual and health-oriented programs and seminars are organized in many places to raise awareness. Abortion is a woman’s personal decision, and ensuring her safe and sound health through a proper medical structure must be exercised in all the countries of the world. Let the world prosper by making little steps towards scientific advancement and knowing how much is an abortion.
Let us know in the comments below if you knew how much is an abortion, and other necessary information about it.
- National Academies of Sciences, Medicine Division, Board on Health Care Services, Board on Population Health, Public Health Practice, Committee on Reproductive Health Services, … & Quality of Abortion Care in the US. (2018). The safety and quality of abortion care in the United States. ↩︎
- Christin-Maitre, Sophie, Philippe Bouchard, and Irving M. Spitz. “Medical termination of pregnancy.” New England Journal of Medicine 342.13 (2000): 946-956. ↩︎
- Spitz, Irving M., et al. “Early pregnancy termination with mifepristone and misoprostol in the United States.” New England Journal of Medicine 338.18 (1998): 1241-1247. ↩︎
- Keder, Lisa M. “Best practices in surgical abortion.” American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 189.2 (2003): 418-422. ↩︎
- Hogue, Carol J. Rowland, Willard Cates Jr, and Christopher Tietze. “Impact of vacuum aspiration abortion on future childbearing: a review.” Family planning perspectives (1983): 119-126. ↩︎
- Autry, Amy M., et al. “A comparison of medical induction and dilation and evacuation for second-trimester abortion.” American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 187.2 (2002): 393-397. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi
