If you are considering abortion, you might wonder whether you really need an ultrasound first. Maybe it feels like an extra step. Maybe you just want to move quickly and get it over with.
But an ultrasound before abortion is not a formality. It is medical information that directly affects your safety. Here is what it tells you, and why it matters.
1. It Confirms Where the Pregnancy Is Located
This is the most urgent reason to get an ultrasound before taking any next steps.
Most pregnancies develop inside the uterus, where they are supposed to. But sometimes a fertilized egg implants somewhere else, usually in a fallopian tube. This is called an ectopic pregnancy, and it affects about 1 in 50 pregnancies.
Here is what you need to know: abortion pills do not treat an ectopic pregnancy. If you take the abortion pill without knowing you have an ectopic pregnancy, the pills will not end it. The pregnancy will continue growing where it is, and a fallopian tube rupture can cause life-threatening internal bleeding.
The only way to know where your pregnancy is located is through an ultrasound. A positive test cannot tell you this. A missed period cannot tell you this. Only an ultrasound can.
2. It Tells You How Far Along You Are
Knowing your gestational age, meaning how many weeks pregnant you are, matters a lot when it comes to abortion options.
The abortion pill is FDA-approved only through 10 weeks of pregnancy. After that window, it is not considered a safe or effective option, and a different procedure would be required. If you take the abortion pill past that point, the risk of complications goes up significantly.
You might think you can estimate based on your last period. But ultrasound is the only accurate way to date a pregnancy. Cycles are irregular. Implantation timing varies. Many women are further along than they think.
Knowing the actual gestational age means you know which options are actually available to you, and what is medically safe.
3. It Tells You If the Pregnancy Is Still Developing
A positive pregnancy test detects a hormone in your body. What it cannot tell you is whether the pregnancy is still developing.
Studies estimate that up to 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, and most happen in the first trimester. Here is the part that surprises many people: your test can still show positive for days or even weeks after a miscarriage because the pregnancy hormone takes time to leave your body.
If you have already had a miscarriage, you do not need an abortion procedure. But you would not know that without an ultrasound. Getting that information first protects you from an unnecessary medical procedure, as well as the emotional and financial cost that comes with it.
This Information Belongs to You
An ultrasound is not about slowing you down or pressuring you into a decision. It is medical information that you deserve to have before doing anything that affects your health.
Whatever you decide to do next, you should make that decision knowing:
- Where is the pregnancy located
- How far along are you
- Whether the pregnancy is still developing
Those are not obstacles. That is just information, and it is yours.
Get a Free Ultrasound at Anchor of Hope
At Anchor of Hope, we offer free, confidential ultrasounds performed by trained medical staff. There is no pressure, no judgment, and no cost to you.
We are not here to tell you what to do. We are here to make sure you have the medical information you need to take care of yourself, whatever comes next.
Call or text us at (920) 452-4673
Email: hope@anchorofhopewi.org
Need help outside of business hours? Call or Text: 800-712-4357
Sheboygan: 1018 S. Taylor Drive, Sheboygan WI 53081
Plymouth: 515 E. Mill Street, Plymouth WI 53073 (Door B)
You deserve real information. Let us help.
This blog is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please seek in-person professional medical care for all concerns related to your health and pregnancy. Anchor of Hope does not perform or refer for abortions.
