Tshwane Women Clinic

A surgical abortion occurs when a doctor (or other qualified health care provider) removes a pregnancy from the uterus.  The doctor numbs the cervix (opening of the uterus), then dilates (opens) the cervix a little bit to put in a small tube and removes the pregnancy with suction.  A surgical abortion may take anywhere from 5 – 20 minutes depending on where you are in your pregnancy.

For additional information about a first trimester abortion click here (go to Surgical 1st trimester abortion page) and for additional information about a second trimester abortion

In general, an abortion is legal in the South Africa through the second trimester, or 24 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP). In Pretoria, you can access abortion care through 24 weeks LMP, and Tshwane Women’s Center offers abortions in Gauteng up to 24 weeks and 6 days LMP. In some situations, usually involving severe fetal defects or abnormalities, third trimester abortions may be performed, but these are extremely rare and cannot be performed in all provinces.

Because both the risks of abortion and the costs increase as a pregnancy progresses, we recommend that you make the decision to end your pregnancy as early as possible. However, an abortion at any time during pregnancy is still a very safe procedure.

A first trimester surgical abortion will usually take about 5 minutes. Second trimester abortions can be longer, taking anywhere from 10 – 20 minutes for the surgical procedure. Some second trimester abortions also require additional time to dilate the cervix before the surgery is performed. The dilation process can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to 24 hours (overnight) prior to the surgery.

While the surgery itself is not long, it is important to remember that there are several pre-operative assessments that are required to ensure your comfort and safety prior to the surgery, so your appointment may take several hours to complete. Be prepared for some waiting time in between your assessments – we believe that your health is our priority so if you need extra time at any point in the process, please be assured that we will take time to address your needs. We extend that same courtesy to all of our patients, which at times may affect your wait.

Every woman experiences pain differently and what seems very painful to one person may not seem painful at all to another. The physical experience that you have during an abortion will vary depending on the type of abortion you choose to have (surgical vs. medical abortion) and the type of anesthetic you choose (local vs. IV sedation).

Women who choose to have a surgical abortion with a local anesthetic will often tell us that they experienced strong cramping and a feeling of pressure during the procedure. How intense the cramps are will vary from person to person. Mild cramping (like menstrual cramps) after a surgical abortion will usually last for one or two days, though it is normal to have cramping on and off for a few weeks. This cramping should be alleviated with over the counter pain medication.

Women who choose to have a medical abortion will often tell us that they experienced very strong cramping and heavy bleeding that subsides within several hours. Mild cramping (like menstrual cramps) after a medical abortion will usually last for one or two days, though it is normal to have cramping on and off for a few weeks. This cramping should be alleviated with over the counter pain medication.

Severe, intense pain is not normal after an abortion and could be an indication that something is not OK. If you are experiencing extreme pain after your procedure, please call us immediately at (012) 772-3033!

A lot of people are confused about the difference between medical abortion (also known as “medication abortion”) and emergency contraceptive pills (also known as “morning-after pills”)! Emergency contraception pills help to prevent pregnancy; medical abortion terminates an established pregnancy.

According to the best scientific evidence available, all FDA-approved emergency contraception pills work by interfering with ovulation or fertilization before pregnancy begins and are not able to terminate an established pregnancy An excellent fact sheet explaining the differences can be found here and more information can be found here.

Be careful when you search for information online about this topic, as there are many anti-abortion websites that contain misleading statements and misinformation.

ECPs are used to prevent pregnancy immediately after sex. They can be up to 95% effective when taken immediately after sex. You might choose to use ECPs if you have unprotected sex, have a problem with your contraception use (condom breaks, skipped a day of your birth control pill, etc.) or if you are sexually assaulted. ECPs are available without a doctor’s prescription for women 17 and older. If you are under 17, you will need a doctor’s prescription in order to obtain ECPs.

You may have your partner, parent or friend with you doing your session with your patient advocate, but due to various protocols and regulations, support persons are not permitted to accompany you during your surgical procedure or during your stay in the recovery room. Your support person is welcome to wait in our waiting room, or leave and return to pick you up. Generally we recommend that your support person wait inside the clinic so that he or she can be easily contacted in case of an emergency.

Having an abortion is very safe.  An abortion procedure is up to 10 ten times safer than childbirth.  While there are risks associated with an abortion procedure every time you have one, there is no definitive research that shows that having more than one abortion procedure will cause increased risks to you, your future health or your fertility.

Yet pregnancy in general does carry risks and having many pregnancies – regardless of whether the pregnancies end in abortion or not – may increase some of these risks.  Because of this, it is extremely important that you share your health history and a detailed pregnancy history with your medical provider to ensure that you are receiving the highest quality of care for your individual needs.

When choosing an abortion provider, it is important to find one that meets your needs, both physically and emotionally.  There are many different types of healthcare facilities that provide abortion care, such as private doctor’s offices, clinics, surgery centers, and hospitals.  When looking for an abortion provider, try to get as much information as you can about the facility.  The more you know about your provider, the better your experience will be.

Yes. You have the option of choosing either local anesthesia or IV sedation for your surgical abortion.  However, we need to review your current and past medical health history and do a brief physical exam, to determine whether or not general anesthesia is a safe option for you in an out-patient facility.  Also, because you will need a ride home and not eat or drink after midnight on the night before your surgery, you must have an escort to bring you to and from your appointment if you would like IV sedation.

In the hands of a qualified professional, such as our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), IV sedation is a safe option for most women during an abortion procedure.

Everyone responds differently to anesthesia.  Some women feel wide awake immediately after surgery, while some women will feel sleepy for several hours after and some women will experience some dizziness or nausea afterwards.  Because the anesthesia medicines stay in your body up to 24 hours after your procedure, it is important that you have someone to escort you home safely.

It’s all about your safety!

If you have chosen to have IV sedation, the medications used during general anesthesia can remain in your body for up to 24 hours and can cause side effects such as feeling drowsy, light-headed, dizziness and nausea.  It is extremely important that you do not drive, make important decisions or care for small children immediately after your procedure.

Women express a wide range of feelings after an abortion. From sadness to relief and from anger to grief, a mix of emotions is normal.  There is no right or wrong way to feel after an abortion.  It is important that you consider your feelings carefully and try not to ignore them.

If you find that you would like help in coping with any emotions that you are experiencing after your abortion, the counselors at Tshwane Women’s Center are available to meet with you at no additional cost after your procedure to discuss any feelings that you are experiencing.

If you feel it would be helpful to speak with a counselor or therapist outside of our Center, we are also able to provide you with supportive referrals.  You can also go online or call organizations that offer free telephone counseling before and after abortion.  We recommend organizations listed here.

The cost of an abortion procedure varies depending on where you are in your pregnancy and the type of procedure you choose.  Generally speaking, the cost of the abortion increases after the first trimester, and sometimes increases with each week of pregnancy.  This is because the procedure requires more medication and time to perform as the pregnancy becomes more advanced.