Three Pre-Abortion Screening Facts You Need to Know  

The earliest signs of pregnancy are often very similar to the symptoms of PMS. This can make it tough to know whether you’re really pregnant or not. If you think you might be pregnant, it’s important to learn about your options before you make any big decisions. Read on for three facts you need to know about the pre-abortion screening process.

Drugstore pregnancy tests may boast about their accuracy, but aren’t always foolproof for every woman. Depending on the time of day you test or the amount you’ve had to drink beforehand (and other factors), your result might be false. The test could show a false positive or a false negative.

These tests can sometimes be pricey, too. Because of that, you’re often better off seeking a professional consult rather than buying multiple home pregnancy tests. It’s important to have a medical-grade pregnancy test performed before you begin seeking out your pregnancy options.¹

Although a medical-grade pregnancy test will be able to let you know for sure whether or not you’re pregnant, an ultrasound can give you a better idea of how far along you are. Without that information, it can be tough to know exactly what your options are as a St. Louis resident.

Because miscarriage before the second trimester is common (starting at 12 weeks), having an ultrasound performed during the early weeks of pregnancy can let you know whether your pregnancy is viable. After an ultrasound, it’s possible to find out that you’re pregnant for now but likely won’t be for much longer.²

If your pregnancy isn’t viable, Thrive St. Louis can give you more information on the options before you.

Having an abortion performed without first being tested for sexually-transmitted diseases and infections (STDs and STIs) can lead to some health problems. If you have an active STD or STI and have a surgical abortion performed, the process can spread bacteria throughout your uterus and lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Untreated PID can cause other health conditions or even lead to infertility.³

By having an STD/STI test performed during your pre-abortion screening, you will know what (if any) treatment you’ll need to undergo before an abortion can even become an option.

When you’re considering abortion or questioning your available options, Thrive St. Louis can help. We are here for YOU. Schedule an appointment today.

1. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Pregnancy-Choices-Raising-the-Baby-Adoption-and-Abortion#about

2. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Early-Pregnancy-Loss

3. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5511a1.htm, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?%20db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&query_hl=11&%20itool=pubmed_docsum&list_uids=10471099