First Trimester Abortion

A first trimester abortion procedure occurs up to 6 weeks from your last menstrual period (LMP).  We are committed to the highest standards in medical care, which you will experience as you walk through our doors. At that time, you will be greeted by a kind, caring staff member. We will work with you to provide care that is designed to support any needs that you have and you will have an opportunity to discuss any questions with the doctor. A first trimester abortion is a safe, simple 3 minute procedure. We offer two options for sedation. Moderate sedation and local anesthesia.

Every person seeking an abortion in Florida is required to have a consultation visit a minimum of 24 hours prior to any abortion. This visit includes ultrasounds, lab work and a meeting with a physician. Use our pregnancy calculator to learn more about pregnancy dating and estimate your gestation ahead of your consultation.

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What to Expect During a First Trimester Abortion

  1. Consent Visit
    In accordance with the state of Florida guidelines, patients will have ultrasound, lab work and a meeting with a physician. The next visit cannot be scheduled any sooner than 24 hrs.
  2. Abortion Visit
    After a short education session, each patient will be escorted to a procedure room where she will have a female nurse with her throughout the procedure. Patients will receive pain management and antibiotics intravenously and the abortion procedure generally lasts for 3-5 minutes.

    Patients will spend 45 minutes in recovery, and can be back to most normal activities the next day.

  3. Follow-Up
    Surgical abortions do not require a follow-up visit. However, if patients would like a follow-up exam, there would be no additional charge.

The Safety of First Trimester Abortion

The Guttmacher Institute is recognized in the U.S. and worldwide as a leader in women’s reproductive healthcare research. According to their state facts about abortion, they describe the safety of abortion.

  • A first-trimester abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with minimal risk—less than 0.05%—of major complications that might need hospital care.
  • Abortions performed in the first trimester pose no long-term risk of problems such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) or birth defect, and little or no risk of preterm or low-birth-weight deliveries.
  • Exhaustive reviews by panels convened by the U.S. and British governments have concluded that there is no association between abortion and breast cancer. There is also no indication that abortion is a risk factor for other cancers.
  • Leading experts have concluded that, among women who have an unplanned pregnancy, the risk of mental health problems is no greater if they have a single first-trimester abortion than if they carry the pregnancy to term.

Guttmacher: https://www.guttmacher.org/united-states/abortion | https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-florida