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| Is
abortion safe? |
| Abortion is the most
common outpatient surgical procedure
in the country. According to the Alan
Guttmacher Institute, a leading public
health research organization, abortion
is 11 times safer than carrying a pregnancy
to term and nearly twice as safe as
a penicillin injection. |
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| Will
having an abortion prevent me from having
children in the future? |
| There is no evidence
of childbearing problems among women
who have had an abortion early in their
pregnancy. Of course, as with any outpatient
surgery, part of the long-term effect
is in your hands. Taking all your medications,
following instructions, and returning
for your follow-up examination will
reduce your chance of long-term side
effects. If you are concerned about
this risk, do not hesitate to ask your
provider about it and they will be able
to answer your questions more specifically. |
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| Is
abortion painful? |
| Every person responds
to and tolerates pain differently. Abortion
patients are generally surprised at
how well they feel physically after
their abortion. Although most women
experience some hard cramping during
the procedure, the intensity of the
cramps begins to lessen quickly while
in recovery. When patients leave, they
may feel light cramping that can be
managed with Tylenol or Motrin. During
a non-surgical abortion, patients can
experience a more intense level of cramping
for a longer period of time but pain
relievers and rest can help manage the
discomfort. We recommend that you discuss
your pain management options with your
chosen provider. |
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| Do
I have to be awake for the procedure?
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| Each office offers
pain management options. General anesthesia
is always available and will put the
patient to sleep for several minutes.
We also offer options such as IV sedation
or nitrous oxide, which puts the patients
in a trance-like state or general anesthesia,
which puts the patient to sleep for
several minutes. |
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| How
long will I be at the office? |
| Be prepared to spend
anywhere from three to six hours at
the doctor's office. |
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| Can
I bring someone with me to the office? |
| You must bring a support
person with you to your appointment,
to sit with you while you wait and to
be able to provide transportation home
after the procedure. We allow support
people to participate in counseling
sessions. |
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| Can
I bring my children with me to the office? |
| We recommend that you
discuss this with the office before
making an appointment. Most offices
discourage or prohibit bringing children
since it is a long visit and waiting
is hard on everyone. |
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| Will
there be protestors at the office? |
| There is no reason
to expect protestors but the office
does not have control over their absence
or presence. |
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| What
is the difference between a surgical
abortion and a non-surgical abortion? |
| Surgical abortions
are performed using a suction/aspiration
method where the cervical muscle is
gently dilated (widened) approximately
to the diameter of a ballpoint pen and
suction is used to remove the pregnancy.
A non-surgical abortion is performed
by the administration of Mifeprex ("RU-486").
RU486 is approved by the FDA for non-surgical
abortions. |
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| How
much does it cost to have an abortion? |
| The stage of
your pregnancy meaning the longer
you wait to have the procedure,
the more expensive it will be.
First trimester abortions under
12 weeks can range from $350.
- $450. |
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| Will
my insurance cover the costs of my abortion? |
| Many insurance plans
cover the costs of both surgical and
non-surgical abortions. We recommend
that you call our office and ask if
we accept your particular insurance
plan. We will be able to answer all
of your questions. |
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| Can
I get financial help to pay for my abortion? |
| Although we are not
able to provide financial help,
our offices have done an extraordinary
job of keeping the cost of abortion
accessible to most women. You
might ask if they have a local
abortion fund to refer you to.
Also, there are some national
funding networks that might be
able to help you with the cost
of your abortion. |
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| I
am on Medicaid. Will that program pay
for my abortion? |
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NYabortion accepts
New York State Medicaid only.
On the day of your appoint you
need to bring your current Medicaid
enrollment form and at least
one form of picture identification.
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