Pregnancy Termination: How do medical and surgical pregnancy termination compare?

Medical termination in theUK can only be used before nine completed weeks of pregnancy. It avoids the surgical complications and it may seem more like a ‘natural’ or spontaneous miscarriage. Surgical termination requires one visit for the treatment whereas a second visit is required with the medical protocol. There is some encouraging evidence that medical termination of pregnancy may be effective beyond the ninth week.

Q19. 1 What does the term abortion mean?
Q19. 2 What are the legal criteria that permit doctors to terminate a pregnancy in the UK?
Q19. 3 How could we tell if there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped - e.g. Down Syndrome?
Q19. 3A What is Tay Sacks and should we test for it?
Q19. 4 How prevalent is pregnancy termination?
Q19. 5 Why do unwanted pregnancies occur?
Q19. 6 I think I may be pregnant and I do not want to have a baby now. What should I do?
Q19. 7 Should I terminate my pregnancy for social reasons?
Q19. 8 How can my pregnancy be terminated?
Q19. 9 What does a suction (surgical) termination of pregnancy involve?
Q19. 10 What is a medical abortion?
Q19. 11 What will happen to me if I have a medical abortion?
Q19. 12 How do medical and surgical pregnancy termination compare?
Q19. 13 What are the chances of medical termination failing?
Q19. 14 What are the risks of pregnancy termination?
Q19. 15 Why is there debate about the ethics of pregnancy termination?
Q19. 16 Support Groups.
Q19. 17 Where can I obtain more information?

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This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London.

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The aim of this web site is to provide a general guide and it is not intended as a substitute for a consultation with an appropriate specialist in respect of individual care and treatment.