Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion With Medicines)

What to expect after MTP?

After taking the second tablet, you may experience the following:

• Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and headache
• Severe abdominal pain along with bleeding that is usually stronger than regular
• After two to six hours, the bleeding usually settles to the level of your normal period
• The bleeding and the cramps are likely to stop on its own after 4-10 days
• Spotting in between your cycles for the next few weeks
• The medications and the feeling of ending the pregnancy may give rise to strong emotional outbursts in you.
• After the procedure, a person’s usual menstrual period should return in 4–8 weeks. However, they may have irregular spotting or bleeding initially.

How to recover after MTP?

In the days following an abortion, a woman may feel drained, physically and mentally. Hence, both physical and mental care is necessary post an abortion.

Physical Care

• Get someone (a friend or a family member) to care for you after the procedure. Do not indulge yourself in any strenuous work.
• Try these to reduce the abdominal cramps:
• Use a heat pad
• Gently massage the stomach and the lower back
• Over-the-counter pills to relieve pain (seek doctor consultation before)
• Attend the follow-up consultations to make sure you are doing fine

Emotional Care

After an abortion, a person’s progesterone and estrogen levels gradually drop down which causes low moods. Anxiety, depression and sleep disorders are common mental issues during the post-abortion phase.

To settle down yourself with the emotional changes:

1. Take adequate time off work.
2. Speak to family members and friends who you trust.
3. Don’t carry the feeling only within yourself.

Recovery after a medical abortion is not very complicated. But, it is different from person to person. Recovery may take longer for late-term abortions. If complications develop, recovery can take several weeks.

Who can undergo MTP in India?

The abortion laws in India differ for unmarried girls, married women and rape victims. In India, a woman who is less than 7 weeks pregnant can undergo a medical abortion.

As per the provisions of the MTP Act, only the consent of the woman whose pregnancy is being terminated is required. However, in case of a minor (below 18 years of age) or a woman with mental illness, the consent of a guardian is required. (Source: Wikipedia)

“Abortion is legal in India. The MTP Act, more commonly known as the Medical Termination of Pregnancy act, was enacted in 1971, mainly as a means to control the population. Then came in the various parameters of who can undergo an abortion, where and so on,” said Dr. Sunitha Mahesh, Senior Consultant- feto-maternal medicine and Medical Director, Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital, Bangalore. (Source: The Week)

According to the MTP Act in India, any woman can undergo abortion under the following circumstances:

• She has a severe disease, and the pregnancy would end her life.
• The fetus is not physically or mentally healthy.
• The pregnancy can put the woman’s mental and physical health in danger.
• The pregnancy is a result of rape.
• She is not socioeconomically stable.
• The pregnancy is a result of a contraceptive failure.

Who should not get a medical abortion?

Medical abortion is not safe for any woman who:

• have chronic adrenaline failure
• is too far along in the pregnancy
• has an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that takes place outside of the uterus)
• use long-term corticosteroids
• has an intrauterine device
• does not have access to any emergency healthcare
• has an allergy to medicines

To know whether you are fit to undergo the MTP procedure or not, consult with your gynecologist and discuss your medical history.

What are the benefits of medical abortion?

The benefits of a medical abortion are:

• The procedure does not involve surgery and hence no anesthesia.
• Medical abortion can be performed as soon as you know you are pregnant.
• The procedure is very simple and only needs the woman to take the abortion pills.
• MTP feels more natural.
• The abortion method does not involve any hospitalization and you can return home immediately after taking the medicines.

What are the disadvantages of medical abortion?

Although the disadvantages of a medical abortion are very few, it cannot be discarded. The disadvantages of a medical abortion are:

• MTP cannot be performed after 7 weeks of pregnancy.
• The method involves heavy and painful bleeding and abdominal cramps.
• Medical abortion may lead to incomplete abortion ( the partial loss of the products of conception within the first 20 weeks)

How to choose a MTP clinic for a safe abortion?

For a safe abortion, the first and the most important thing is to choose a safe and licensed clinic for an abortion. A clinic is considered safe for abortion if it complies on the following medical and ethical grounds:

Medical grounds:

On medical grounds, abortion is considered safe, if:

• Trained and qualified healthcare providers perform the abortion.
• The clinic where the abortion is done follows standard operating procedures.
• The clinic is licensed for abortion under MTP Act of India and the gynceologists are certified to perform abortions.
• The doctors and the staff are well trained and have performed multiple safe abortions.

Ethical grounds:

On ethical grounds, abortion is considered safe, if:

• The clinic and the doctors are committed to protecting the confidentiality of the patients.
• The doctor does not make discrimination on any grounds.
• The medical practitioners of the clinic consider the right to the reproductive health of every woman.
• The doctors at the clinic do not conduct sex-selective abortion.
• The team considers the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the woman.

A certified MTP centre that meets the criteria mentioned above can be deemed fit for having a safe abortion. Though a short-termed procedure, if not conducted safely, it can adversely affect the reproductive health of the female and impact her future pregnancies. Hence, choosing the MTP clinic is crucial for the procedure and a healthy future.

When to consult a doctor after medical termination of pregnancy?

• heavy bleeding even after a week of taking the second pill
• foul-smelling or brownish vaginal discharge
• fever that lasts more than 24 hours
• unusual severe back or abdominal pain
• you do not get periods even after two months of pregnancy
• you have symptoms of pregnancy or a feeling that the abortion is not complete

What is the cost of MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) in India?

Since MTP is a non-invasive method of abortion and does not involve anesthesia or surgical equipment, it is far more affordable than surgical abortion. The average cost of MTP in India is Rs. 3000, based on various factors. The cost of this treatment differs typically based on the following factors:

• Consultation charges of the gynecologist
• Choice of treatment hospital/clinic
• Age of the patient
• Cost of diagnostic tests before treatment
• Complications in the surgery (if any)
• Cost of medicines

Consult with best Female Gynecologist at Pristyn Care and Get the cost estimate of MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy).