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MEDICATION ABORTION
• UNWANTED PREGNANCY • UNPLANNED PREGNANCY •

"WHAT IS A MEDICAL ABORTION?"

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A MEDICAL ABORTION IS THE TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY USING A MEDICATION. IN CANADA, THIS IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE PROCEDURE. THE MEDICATION USED IS MIFEGYMISO, A COMBINATION OF MIFEPRISTONE WITH MISOPROSTOL. MIFEPRISTONE ENDS THE PREGNANCY AND MISOPROSTOL CREATES CONTRACTIONS (CRAMPS) THAT EXPELS THE TISSUE OF THE PREGNANCY. IF THE MEDICATION DOES NOT WORK IN ENDING YOUR PREGNANCY, YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE A ASPIRATION ABORTION (SURGICAL). AT THIS CLINIC, WE PERFORM TERMINATIONS UP TO 9 WEEKS WITH MIFEGYMISO. MEDICAL ABORTION IS MOST EFFECTIVE EARLIER IN THE PREGNANCY.

ANOTHER OPTION IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ABORTION IS A SURGICAL ABORTION WHERE THE DOCTOR DOES A PROCEDURE TO REMOVE THE PREGNANCY. WE DO NOT DO THEM IN THE CLINIC, BUT IF YOU CALL WOMEN'S VITA AND ASK TO TALK TO THE NURSE, WE CAN PROVIDE RESOURCES, OR YOU COULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS WITH THE DOCTOR AND WE CAN ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT AT YOUR LOCAL CLINIC. 

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"WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY APPOINTMENT AND THE PROCESS?"

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IF YOU CALL THE MAIN CLINIC LINE, WE WILL GATHER INFORMATION FROM YOU LIKE YOUR CARECARD NUMBER (PLEASE HAVE IT HANDY), ADDRESS, POSTAL CODE, ETC. SHE WILL ALSO BE ASKING SOME PERSONAL QUESTIONS, SO BEING SOMEWHERE PRIVATE IS BENEFICIAL. WE WILL ALSO NEED THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR LAST MENSTURAL PERIOD. AND EITHER YOU WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NURSE RIGHT AWAY, OR SHE WILL CALL YOU AT A LATER TIME. AT THAT TIME, SHE WILL ALSO SEND IN A REQUEST TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND DONE (TO ENSURE THAT THE PREGNANCY IS IN THE UTERUS) AS WELL AS SEND THE REQUISITIONS FOR BLOOD TESTS (PREGNANCY HORMONE LEVELS, YOUR BLOOD TYPE AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS) TO THE LABORATORY OF YOUR CHOICE.

 

YOU MUST GET BOTH DONE PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. 

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WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT WE WILL ASK YOU TO SEE A PIECE OF ID, AS WELL AS COMPLETE THE NEW PATIENT HISTORY FORMS. YOU WILL GO OVER YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY WITH THE NURSE.

 

IT WILL BE DETAILED AND TAKE SOME TIME, SO PLEASE ARRIVE 20 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT TIME. 

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BEFORE YOU SEE THE DOCTOR, YOU WILL SEE THE NURSE TO REVIEW YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY. YOU WILL GO THROUGH THE CONSULTATION WITH THE DOCTOR/NURSE TO DISCUSS YOUR DECISION AND ENSURE YOU ARE MAKING AN EDUCATED AND COMFORTABLE DECISION FOR YOU.

 

YOU WILL BE OFFERED ALL OPTIONS AND SUPPORTED THROUGH ANY DECISION YOU MAKE. THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF ABORTION WILL BE REVIEWED AND THE PROCEDURE WILL BE DESCRIBED. IF AT ANY TIME YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE ASK. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU. AFTER THE CONSULTATION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH THE TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY THROUGH A MEDICAL ABORTION, WE WILL GIVE YOU MEDICATIONS AND THE PROCESS WILL BEGIN. DURING THIS TIME, WE WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSING DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR BIRTH CONTROL. AFTER THE PROCEDURE, YOU CAN BECOME PREGNANT AGAIN VERY QUICKLY, EVEN BEFORE YOUR NEXT MENSTURAL PERIOD. YOU CAN START SOME KINDS OF BIRTH CONTROL ON THE SAME DAY YOU TAKE THE MEDICATIONS, IF YOU CHOOSE AN IUD, IT CAN BE INSERTED AT A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT AS SOON AS THE PREGNANCY HAS ENDED (USUALLY WITHIN A FEW DAYS AFTER YOU TAKE THE MEDICATION)
 

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"WHAT IS THE COST?"

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THE MEDICATION MIFEGYMISO (MIFEPRISTONE/MISOPROSTOL) IS COVERED FOR ALL BC RESIDENTS WITH A VALID MSP NUMBER AND THERE IS NO COST TO HAVE THE APPOINTMENT. WITHOUT VALID BC MSP, THE PROCEDURE WILL COST ABOUT $700 ALL TOGETHER. 

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MEDICAL ABORTION VS. SURGICAL ABORTION  -  "WHAT CHOICE IS RIGHT FOR ME?"

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MEDICAL ABORTION: TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY WITH MEDICATION  (BEST AT 7 OR LESS WEEKS):

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PROS:

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  • HAS BEEN FORMALLY STUDIED AND USED SAFELY FOR YEARS

  • YOU ARE AT HOME DURING THIS PROCESS AND YOU CAN CHOOSE THE PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE IN. 

  • AVOID ANAESTHESIA AND INSTRUMENTS, UNLESS IT FAILS (ALTHOUGH YOU WILL NEED TO DO BLOODWORK AND A VAGINAL ULTRASOUND IS ALSO REQUIRED. IF YOU ARE A NEGATIVE BLOOD TYPE, YOU MAY ALSO NEED AN INJECTION)

  • YOU DO NOT NEED SOMEONE TO COME WITH YOU TO APPOINTMENTS (BUT DO NEED SOMEONE FOR THE DAY THAT YOU TAKE THE MISOPROSTOL)

  • SUCCESS RATE 95-98% DEPENDING ON HOW MANY WEEKS YOU ARE ALONG IN YOUR PREGNANCY

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CONS:

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  • CAN ONLY BE DONE UP TO 9 WEEKS

  • BLEEDING AND CRAMPING IS MORE INTENSE AND LONGER 

  • THERE IS A 1% CHANCE THAT THE MEDICATION COULD FAIL, IN THIS CASE, YOU WILL BE SENT FOR A SURGICAL ABORTION

  • ABOUT 2% OF WOMEN REQUEST THE SURGICAL ABORTION BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO WAIT FOR THE BLEEDING TO START

  • RISK OF EXCESSIVE BLEEDING OR SERIOUS INFECTION (VERY LOW)

  • RARELY WOMEN MAY BE ALLERGIC TO MEDICATIONS

  • CANNOT BE PREDICTABLE, MORE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHEN YOU WILL BLEED AND PASS THE PREGNANCY

  • WILL NEED FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS (AT LEAST 2 VISITS, SOMETIMES MORE)

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SURGICAL ABORTION: TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY THROUGH UTERINE ASPIRATION: 

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PROS:

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  • ONLY TAKES ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES

  • CAN BE DONE LATER IN THE PREGNANCY

  • YOU HAVE SUPPORTIVE AND EDUCATED MEDICAL STAFF PRESENT DURING PROCEDURE

  • PROCEDURES ARE SUCCESSFUL 99% OF THE TIME

  • SURGICAL ABORTIONS ARE VERY COMMON, ABOUT 100,000 DONE IN CANADA EVERY YEAR. 

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CONS:

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  • YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE TO DRIVE YOU HOME DUE TO MEDICATIONS (ANESTHESIA AND SEDATIVES)

  • PROCEDURES ARE NOT DONE IN THE EVENINGS OR WEEKENDS, YOU WILL LIKELY NEED TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK OR SCHOOL

  • YOU WILL HAVE SOME BLEEDING AND CRAMPING AFTER THE PROCEDURE

  • WE DO NOT DO PROCEDURE AT WOMEN'S VITA, YOU WILL BE REFERRED TO ANOTHER CLINIC/PHYSICIAN TO HAVE THE SURGICAL ABORTION

 

 

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE AND WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS OPTIONS, WE ARE HERE TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.

WE WILL ONLY BEGIN THE MEDICAL ABORTION IF YOU ARE 100% SURE OF YOUR DECISION.

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​THE STAFF:

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THE MEDICAL STAFF HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THEIR SKILLS, TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE, COMPASSION AND PASSION FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE. WE ARE EXPERIENCED, QUALIFIED AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN WHO ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING A SUPPORTIVE AND NON-JUDGEMENTAL ATMOSPHERE.  ALL OF OUR MEDICAL AND ABORTION PROCEDURES ARE PERFORMED BY AN EXPERIENCED PHYSICIAN WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF BC. WOMEN'S VITA IS DEDICATED TO ENSURING WOMEN'S ACCESS TO SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND QUALITY ABORTION CARE. 

 

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FOR ANY DECISION THAT YOU MAKE, WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT AND ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND ADDRESS ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE. 

P: 250-591-9812

F: 250-244-4880

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102 - 1621 Dufferin Crescent

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