COMPARISON
OF SURGICAL AND MEDICAL ABORTION
Advantages
of surgical abortion are that the procedure may be completed
in one session; return to normal activities is usually the
next day; risk of incomplete abortion is <1%; and continued
pregnancy is rare. Disadvantages to surgical abortion are
that it requires local or general anesthesia, the procedure
depends on a physically skilled physician, and there is
always a risk of cervical and uterine injury. Services
can be obtained at clinics at a cost of $200-500, while
hospitals tend to be more expensive.
In
comparison, medical abortion does not involve risks associated
with surgical instruments and anesthesia. Medical abortion
can be performed very early in pregnancy and the outcome
does not depend on a physician’s manual skill. The
process is also more private. In fact, many women feel
a greater sense of control.
The
downside of medical abortion is that it can only be done
up to seven weeks gestation in the U.S. – and up to
nine weeks in some other countries. It involves pain and
bleeding as in a miscarriage. Up to 1% of medical abortion
result in continued pregnancy, requiring Dilation &
Evacuation (D & C), while another 4% result in incomplete
abortion, requiring surgical abortion as well. Currently,
no long-term follow-up studies exist.
The
medications methotrexate and misoprostol alone cost about
$30. However, with the required 2-3 office visits, testing,
and exams, medical abortion often ends up costing about
the same as a surgical abortion.
