While it is difficult to obtain a safe abortion in many parts of the world, the obstacles do not end there. Access to safe abortion is the first step to successful pregnancy termination. But postabortion care is an important and often overlooked part of comprehensive abortion care. Before we get to the question of what post-abortion care is for, let’s explain why there are other integral steps besides access. Missed abortions are quite common in early pregnancy.
There are two types of abortion: spontaneous abortion or miscarriage and induced abortion. In the first case, the female body expels the products of conception on its own due to chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects. In fact, the female body recognizes that the fetus is not viable and therefore ejects it from the uterus. To save yourself from any difficulty Buy Abortion tablets in Dubai.
These forms of abortion can also be due to risks such as maternal infections and diseases, age, weight factors, poor prenatal care, and uterine abnormalities
As the name suggests, spontaneous miscarriages are inevitable or predictable. They can, however, partially occur when some of the products of conception remain in the woman’s uterus, causing minor or serious complications.
Incomplete abortion is also a complication that occurs when women resort to induced abortions. These are abortions by medication or surgery. In these types of abortions, infections, bleeding, and injuries from surgical procedures can occur.
These are common in unsafe abortions where the untrained provider does not use properly sterilized instruments. It is therefore less common in spontaneous and medical abortions. It should be noted that septic infection can also occur in the presence of a pre-existing infection, such as an STI, endometritis or cervical inflammation.
Overview of types of abortions:
- Miscarriages are abortions, and sometimes they happen partially, causing what we call an incomplete abortion.
- Incomplete abortions can also occur in induced abortions when the medication or surgical procedure leaves some of the products of conception behind.
- Septic abortions usually result from surgically induced abortions by untrained practitioners using non-sterile instruments.
- The frequency and severity of abortion complications depend on the gestational age at the time of the abortion and the method of abortion.
- Ultimately, post-abortion complications are due to three main factors: incomplete evacuation, infection, and injury or surgical trauma.
- Unsafe abortion methods, which use non-medical remedies or unsterilized equipment, are the main source of abortion-related health complications.
Symptoms and signs of post-abortion complications:
Now that we have seen how complications occur, we can talk about some common symptoms that can occur after an abortion.
Minor symptoms of post-abortion complications are light vaginal bleeding, light fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps, fatigue
Serious symptoms of post-abortion complications include excessive bleeding, progressively worsening lower abdominal, back, and/or pelvic pain, septic shock (feeling like confusion or disorientation, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, fever of more than 24 hours, chills or an intense feeling of cold), malodorous vaginal discharge.
What are the differences between the symptoms after an abortion:
The minor symptoms listed above are common for all types of abortion. In fact, in the case of medical abortions, they are actually the normal side effects of the medication. These symptoms subside in a short time and often do not require a visit to the doctor. It is very important to always ask the health service provider what to expect.
Serious symptoms, however, require immediate medical attention and should not be ruled out. As with any other medical condition, symptoms are indicative of what might be happening, for example, heavy postoperative bleeding could mean
- The uterus has failed to contract or return to normal – usually due to the buildup of blood and/or products of conception causing the uterus to swell and fail.
- The uterus, bladder, or intestines have been injured,
- The woman’s inability to coagulate properly,
- Damage to a tissue or organ caused by the application of unsafe medical devices
Serious post-abortion complications can have lifelong consequences, with death being the worst-case scenario, and other extremes such as subsequent hysterectomy, uterine rupture, multiple organ failure, cervical damage, infertility, and/or lasting psychological effects.
What to expect in case of emergency treatment:
If a woman needs emergency treatment, the tests to expect are
- Frequent monitoring of vital signs
- An abdominal examination to check if the abdomen and organs are damaged.
- A pelvic exam to check the severity of vaginal bleeding or look for obvious vaginal or cervical lesions.
Regardless of the type of abortion, all women need post-abortion care.
Keeping in mind that miscarriages are abortions, it means that, from a medical point of view, there are no major differences between medical, surgical, and spontaneous abortion. For example, drugs used for medical abortions can also be used to safely treat an incomplete miscarriage, as can surgical excavation. Also, the symptoms of abortion complications, as discussed here, are very similar.
However, in many countries, legislation differentiates between abortions, stigmatizing some of them and making it difficult for women who have had an induced abortion to access PAC. Despite this, research clearly shows that comprehensive abortion care (CACC) also includes all elements of PAC, and together they contribute to a significant reduction in maternal mortality.
Treatment of incomplete and unsafe abortions and their complications is therefore necessary for all women, as they can be life-threatening or life-changing.
