QuestionHi Dr. Joan,
I apologize for my second question but there were a few things that I forgot to ask in my first question.
To begin I asked questions about surgical abortion. I have heard that term being related to an aspiration abortion. The procedure I would be having would consist of local anesthesia and a vacuum.. is that aspiration?
Secondly, and this may seem dumb but I am just interested-- how long until I am allowed to start living life normally after an abortion? As I have mentioned I am in college and my birthday is coming soon, when is it okay to have a few drinks with my friends again? When can I start BC and have sex again? Also, how long should I stop smoking cigarettes/drinking alcohol/using rec drugs before an abortion (granted I do not do most of these things but I am just curious because I have done some of them in the past)?
Also, I wish that I could come to your office to get this abortion done, however it is far from where I am (middle of PA state) to NYC, because I do not have a lot of time to dedicate to travel. Are there any places that you recommend in the PA area (preferably closer to Centre County)? I really want to get this done by someone who is professional and trustworthy.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate it.
AnswerDear Jenn,
I answered most of your questions in the last response.
What is the aftercare from an abortion? There are really no restrictions. You can drink, smoke, and go out right away. It is best to start birth control right away. If you have the aspiration procedure or the abortion pill, you can resume having sex within days. If you have a surgical abortion facilities usually recommend that you abstain from sex for 2-6 weeks. The reason you don't need to abstain from sex with the Aspiration Procedure or the abortion pill is because they are nonsurgical methods. In a sense, with these methods, you are inducing your period, or "bringing down your late period." Your uterus does not need to heal or recover from these methods any more than it would need to after a period or menstruation. In comparison, a surgical abortion scrapes the lining of the uterus, so it needs to heal. The scraping is completely unnecessary, and that is why I don't recommend it. For early pregnancy you don't need to scrape. The menstrual lining separates and comes down easily and naturally. The Aspiration Procedure uses a very gentle pressure to cause the separation of the menstrual lining, and the abortion pill does this chemically. Scraping is too invasive.
I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan
Early Abortion Specialist
New York City
EarlyAbortionOptions.com
EarlyAbortion.com
