Frequently Asked Questions

Abortion is a common medical procedure. In fact, everyone knows and loves someone who’s had an abortion. Below are some frequently asked questions about abortions and about abortion appointments.

In addition, here are some links to more information about abortions, abortion storytelling, abortion rights and activism, Reproductive Justice and support for teens facing abortion decisions:

Is it common to have abortions?

According to the National Abortion Federation, nearly 1/3 of all U.S. women of reproductive age have abortions before the age of 45. All types of people, from different races and ethnic groups, ages, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds have abortions.

Does it hurt?

Like most medical procedures some pain and/or discomfort may be involved. Some people feel only mild cramping while for others the procedure is painful. Most of our patients say the procedure wasn’t as uncomfortable as they had imagined it would be. Sedatives and pain killers are available to help you with pain management.

How long will I be at the clinic?

The first appointment will take about 2 hours. The second appointment for medication abortions will take about one hour and for the surgical abortions, about 2-4 hours.

If the procedure only lasts less than 10 minutes why am I at the clinic for so long?

Your appointment includes paperwork, lab work, meeting with the Physician, the procedure, and some recovery time. Some patients require additional medications that take time to become effective.

When can I return to work/school?

Most people return to work and/or school the day after their procedure. You may return to regular activities as soon as you want but if you experience an increase in your cramping and/or bleeding you may need to decrease your activity level.

Is my appointment confidential?

Yes! No one can obtain information about you or your procedure without your written consent. Our staff respects a patient’s right to privacy and will not release any information without written consent and proof of identification.

I’m a minor. Can I have an abortion without my parents knowing?

The State of Florida requires parental consent or a judicial waiver for any minor seeking an abortion. If you are unable to tell your parent(s) about your decision to have an abortion and are unsure how to proceed, please call the clinic and we can provide you with additional information. You can also check this great website to learn about your rights and options for abortion services via judicial bypass: http://teenabortionflorida.com/

If your parent(s) or legal guardian knows about your decision to have an abortion, he or she will need to:

sign and have notarized a “consent” form (we can e-mail, regular mail or fax this form or you can come by to pick it up prior to an appointment),
accompany you to your appointment if the consent form has not been notarized and,
they will need to bring photo identification AND legal documentation proving that they are your parent or legal guardian (a birth certificate or documents listing them as your legal guardian).

In addition, you will need to have a photo ID such as a drivers license, Florida ID card or school ID.

Do I have to bring someone with me?

If you are going to use a sedative or IV sedation you must have someone with you to drive you home or someone that can pick you up.

What should I wear?

You should wear a comfortable, two-piece outfit, and underwear that you can put a pad into. Sometimes the clinic is chilly, so bring a long-sleeved shirt or sweater.

Why do you need to know my blood type?

People with a negative Rh factor require a Rhogam injection with each pregnancy, regardless of the outcome. This injection keeps the body of a Rh negative person from building up antibodies against Rh positive blood. If you have a donor card that shows your blood type you can bring it to your appointment.

Is abortion safe?

Yes! Surgical abortion is one of the safest types of medical procedures. Complications from having a first-trimester surgical abortion are considerably less frequent and less serious than complications associated with giving birth. Early medical abortion/pill abortions are also very safe.
Serious complications arising from surgical abortions before 13 weeks are unusual. About 88% of the women who obtain abortions are less than 13 weeks pregnant. Of these women, 97% report no complications; 2.5% have minor complications that can be handled at the medical office or abortion facility; and less than 0.5% have more serious complications that require some additional surgical procedure and/or hospitalization

Although rare, possible complications from a surgical abortion procedure include:

blood clots accumulating in the uterus, requiring another suctioning procedure, (less than 0.2% of cases)
infections, most of which are easily identified and treated if the woman carefully observes follow-up instructions, (0.1%-2.0% of North American cases)
a tear in the cervix, which may be repaired with stitches (0.6%-1.2% of cases)
perforation (a puncture or tear) of the wall of the uterus and/or other organs (less than 0.4% of cases)
incomplete abortion, in which tissue from the pregnancy remains in the uterus, and requires a repeat suction procedure, (0.3%-2.0% of cases)
excessive bleeding requiring a blood transfusion (0.02%-0.3% of cases). In comparison, a woman’s risk of death during pregnancy and childbirth is ten times greater.

Possible complications of a medical abortion include:

failure of the medications to terminate the pregnancy (less than 2% of cases), requiring a suction procedure to complete the abortion
incomplete expulsion of the products of conception, requiring a suction procedure to complete the abortion (occurs in less than 6% of cases)
excessive bleeding, requiring a suction procedure, and rarely, transfusion (less than 1% of cases)
uterine infection, requiring the use of antibiotics (0.09%-0.6% of cases)
death secondary to toxic shock following infection with Clostridium sordellii (has occurred in less than 0.001% of cases in the US and Canada)

See https://prochoice.org/wp-content/uploads/safety_of_abortion.pdf for more information and citation of statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bread and Roses Women’s Health Center is a women-owned and operated abortion provider and women’s health clinic located in Gainesville, Florida.

Services

Patient Info

Want us to contact you?