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Is abortion legal in Canada?
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| Yes. Abortion has been technically legal in Canada since 1969. Between then and 1988, terminations could not be performed without the consent of a Therapeutic Abortion Committee (TAC). Many hospitals did not have TACs, and the TAC members were not uniformly pro-choice. These days, a woman can obtain an abortion "on demand" in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island. | |||
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If I am under the age of consent (16 years) may I obtain an abortion without my parents' permission? |
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| Adolescents do not need their parents' permission to have an abortion in Canada. Consent is not based on age, but on comprehension of the procedure and its possible risks. | |||
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Can I only obtain an abortion within the first trimester (first 3 months)? |
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| In Canada you can obtain an abortion up to 20 weeks. Most hospitals and clinics routinely perform abortions up until 14 to 16 weeks. Abortions after 16 weeks are rare, and are typically performed for reasons of foetal abnormality, or because the mother's health is endangered by the pregnancy. It can be difficult to find doctors who perform late-term abortions. It should also be noted that second trimester abortions carry slightly greater risks and complications. For procedures after 20 weeks, Canadian women can travel to the States, where some doctors provide services up to 24 weeks. | |||
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Will I be able to conceive after an abortion? |
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| Absolutely! Conception is no problem. In fact, you can get pregnant within weeks after an abortion. The misconception that abortion causes infertility comes from the days before abortion was legal. Back then, the problematic "back alley" conditions under which the procedure was performed did, at times, lead to infertility (and even death). Now, however, having an abortion is an extremely safe procedure. In some countries, abortion is used as a form of birth control, and women continue to get pregnant after as many as 20 abortions. | |||
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What is the difference between clinic and hospital services? |
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Hospitals provide abortions under general anaesthetic (they put you to sleep), whereas clinics provide abortions with local anaesthetic (you stay awake for the procedure).
To have an abortion in a hospital, you will first need to see a doctor (a gynaecologist or perhaps your GP) for a physical examination. The doctor will explain the procedure to you, and will book a time for your operation. You don't need a referral to have an abortion in a clinic. You simply phone for an appointment (self-referral). Rather than an initial appointment with a doctor, you meet with a counsellor before the procedure, to talk a little about your decision and have the procedure explained. Clinics offer drugs to help you relax and/or painkillers. In most clinics you are allowed to bring a support person (friend, partner, relative) with you into the operating room. Clinics also offer post-abortion counselling. |
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Will an abortion be painful?
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The answer to this question depends on whether you have your abortion under local or general anaesthetic, or using a medical abortifacient such as methotrexate. It can also be broken down into: discomfort during the procedure; and cramping after the procedure.
General Anaesthetic: If you are asleep during the procedure you won't experience any pain. Afterwards, you may or may not experience period-like cramping. Very painful cramping can be a sign of complications. Local Anaesthetic: The answer to this question varies from woman to woman, and from procedure to procedure. In fact, the same woman, having two separate abortions, using the same doctor, in the same clinic, may have two very different experiences. Many professionals believe that a woman's frame of mind influences how she experiences the procedure. There are many deep-breathing, visualization and other relaxation techniques that can help. It's important to keep in mind that the procedure is not very long - only 5 to 10 minutes. Under local anaesthetic, some women feel little or no pain at all, others feel a lot more. Most women are somewhere in between. The pain you may feel is manageable. It might be uncomfortable, but it shouldn't be excruciating. Different stages of the procedure may cause anxiety and discomfort. Some women, for instance, are afraid of needles. Many clinics (and all hospitals), insert an intravenous (IV) into your arm. If you like, the nurse can put cream on your skin to "freeze" your arm where the IV will go. Don't be afraid to ask for the cream - it really does help! A thin needle is used to "freeze" the cervix. Some women don't feel the needle, because the cervix is a muscle with very few nerve endings. Some women do feel a bit of pinching, pressure or stinging. Dilating the cervix (opening the entrance to the uterus) may cause some period-like cramping. (Oddly enough, these cramps are a good sign, since the contractions help the uterus to stop bleeding.) The vacuum aspiration may cause some cramping and pulling sensations as the uterus is emptied. You may experience some cramping, and feel a scraping sensation, as the doctor uses a curette (a small, spoon-like instrument) to check the walls of the uterus. On the rarest occasions, the local anaesthetic injected into the cervix doesn't work to its full effect. If the doctor hasn't already used the maximum dosage, they may try refreezing you. If they can't use more anaesthetic, painkillers may be given through an IV. After a surgical abortion: Some women experience menstrual-type cramping the third and fourth day after the procedure. These cramps mean that the uterus is returning to its normal, pre-pregnant size. Drugs like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprophen), or even just a heating pad or water bottle, can usually control the discomfort. Aspirin should be avoided, since it thins the blood, and can cause more bleeding. Medical abortions: Women who abort using methotrexate often have heavy, menstrual-like cramping, but are provided with painkillers (usually Tylenol 3 and ibuprophen). Women occasionally report some of the following: mild dizziness, headaches, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. |
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Is there a link between abortion and breast cancer? |
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| Some of the myths surrounding abortion are actually deliberate attempts by anti-choicers to frighten women into not having abortions. One such myth is that abortion causes breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute's Canada's Advisory Committee on Cancer Control (October 21, 1997): "Overall, current scientific evidence does not support a relationship between induced abortion and breast cancer." | |||
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What is laminaria? Is it necessary?
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Laminaria are thin rods, or "tents" of seaweed inserted into the cervix 16 to 24 hours before an abortion (requiring more than one visit). The further along a woman is, the greater the number of tents needed. Once in place, the seaweed absorbs moisture and swells, gradually softening the cervix and widening the os (the opening to the uterus).
Dr. Henry Morgentaler (the doctor credited with legalizing abortion in Canada) laminaria is unnecessary except for abortions past 14 weeks. With the advances in medical equipment, Dr. Morgentaler believes that the discomfort and inconvenience (of having to make more than one visit) does not justify the use of laminaria before that time. Other doctors use laminaria regularly, and feel that it makes the procedure quicker, and is easier on the cervix than mechanical dilation. If you do have laminaria inserted, it's not uncommon to experience: cramping, a little bleeding, the laminaria falling out, discharge, and sometimes, if it causes the amniotic sac to break, a gush of water-like fluid. On the very odd occasion, it can induce a miscarriage. |
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What is an Rh factor?
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| People have either Rh-positive or Rh-negative blood. When an Rh-negative woman carries an Rh-positive foetus, her body may create antibodies hostile to Rh-positive blood. In a later pregnancy these antibodies can react against an Rh-positive foetus, causing serious harm and even threatening its survival. After an abortion (or miscarriage or birth), Rh-negative women who have carried an Rh-positive foetus, need to be given an injection to prevent antibody formation, so that future pregnancies are not endangered. | |||
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After everything has returned to normal, will a doctor be able to tell that I've had an abortion? |
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| No. The cervix is a muscle that is built to withstand a great deal of trauma. The amount that the cervix is dilated during an abortion is almost insignificant, compared to the amount it has to stretch during childbirth. About two weeks after your abortion your cervix will have returned to normal, and a doctor will not be able to tell that you've had an abortion. | |||
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Can I be turned down for an abortion? |
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Clinics and doctors go out of their way to accommodate women, but do have the right, legally, to refuse service. Under some circumstances your appointment might be postponed, either to a later date at the clinic, or to a hospital setting using general anaesthetic.
Reasons you might have your procedure postponed: Some women have too many medical conditions (diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, etc.) to be treated in a clinical setting, and are referred to hospitals, which are prepared for complications. Some women are simply not far enough along in their pregnancy to have a surgical abortion. Sometimes the length of pregnancy has not been accurately calculated, and needs to be checked, usually by having an ultrasound. Sometimes a physical examination will suggest that the pregnancy is irregular. If so, the woman may be sent for an ultrasound before undergoing the procedure. Certain recreational drugs, like cocaine, can react with local anaesthetic and cause complications (such as heart attacks). If a woman can't stay "clean" for a certain length of time (which varies from clinic to clinic), a hospital procedure would be safer for her. Women who are experiencing an extreme emotional reaction before their procedure, and who are not responding to relaxation techniques or medicine, may be asked to postpone their appointment until they are feeling more confident. In some cases, they may be recommended for general anaesthetic. |
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I'm on someone else's medical insurance - will they be able to find out that I've had an abortion? |
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The answer to this question will be up soon!
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For another great abortion FAQs page, try www.plannedparenthood.org/abortion/abortquestions.html
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please e-mail us.
skye@prochoiceconnection.com