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Near North For more information: Medical Care |
Medical Care: Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area
provides abortion services from 3 to 18 weeks of pregnancy
at our Near North Health Center. Prior to the procedure, you will
receive a physical examination, have an extensive medical
history taken and have laboratory tests done. You may also
have an ultrasound. A physician will perform a pelvic
exam. If you are scheduled for a surgical
procedure, you will be able to choose either local
anesthesia or IV sedation. Local anesthesia numbs the cervix
to make the procedure more comfortable. IV sedation or
conscious sedation is a mild form of anesthesia that will
give you a 'twilight-like' state of consciousness and will
help lessen anxiety and discomfort you may have during the
procedure. You will also be offered a mild oral sedative to
help calm you. The surgical abortion is performed by
a method called vacuum aspiration. The vacuum aspiration
procedure is the safest, most commonly used method of
pregnancy termination. The procedure itself takes less than
10 minutes. An early medical abortion requires a pelvic exam, lab work, and an ultrasound. You will take mifepristone by mouth, administered on-site by a licensed physician at PP/CA. You will then be sent home with misoprostol, to be self-administered on the third day after your visit. The majority of women will have the complete medical abortion within four hours. A nurse is available by phone to provide 24-hour support. A follow-up visit is recommended approximately 14 days after taking mifepristone to confirm the pregnancy has been terminated. Recovery:
If you choose surgery, you will spend about a half-hour to an hour under our supervision following the procedure. A nurse will monitor your recovery. Nurses will also provide further information on:
Every patient is given an emergency number to call if any problems arise. This number is staffed 24 hours a day by trained health care providers. You can prevent many problems by carefully following the instructions given to you while at the health center. Follow-Up Care: It is very important to have a
check-up 2 to 3 weeks after an abortion. This check-up is
available at any of our seven Planned Parenthood health
centers. To make an appointment call:
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