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ABORTION
SERVICES
Our
Center provides safe medical treatment for women seeking elective abortion
in keeping with the following standards.
Reproductive Rights
Florida State law allows same day procedures. Married women do
not need their husband's consent. Parental notification,
either by telephone or certified letter, is required if the patient
is under the age of 18 (except if you are married or
have a child already). If you are unable to tell your parent or
guardian about your decision, you can ask for a court order so
you do not have to tell.
For information on an organization that helps teens know their rights
click here www.pathproject.net
All information is confidential so that your privacy may be respected.
Counseling 
Each woman receives individual counseling services, which are
provided on the day of your appointment to discuss the abortion
procedure, risks and complications, birth control and follow-up
care.
If you have questions regarding alternatives to abortion, a separate
appointment should be made before you schedule an appointment
to see the Doctor.
Laboratory Testing
A pregnancy test, hematocrit, blood Rh factor and blood pressure, pulse
and temperature are routinely performed on the day of your appointment
and are included in the total fee. There is an additional fee for RH Negative
patients for Rhogam.
Procedures
Abortions are performed for women up to 14 weeks gestation. First
trimester abortion is up to 12 weeks and second trimester abortions
up to 14 weeks are available at Aastra Women's Center.
Pelvic examination and ultrasound when necessary, are performed
to determine the exact length of pregnancy. It is common practice
to use a local anesthetic for the cervix and I.V. (intravenous)
sedation or "twilight sleep" to reduce anxiety and discomfort.
You will be relaxed and less aware of what is going on around
you; many women fall into a light sleep and say that they do not
remember anything about the procedure afterwards.
The actual abortion, which is a vacuum aspiration, takes approximately
3-5 minutes and you may experience some mild to moderate cramping
immediately after the procedure. You will be given an appropriate
amount of recovery and observation time prior to leaving. Medications
to prevent infection and control bleeding may be included.
For additional information and facts on abortion click here www.guttmacher.org
Post-operative Abortion Care and Follow-up 
You may want to rest the day of your procedure but most women
return to their normal activities the following day. If you need
a note for school or work, please let your Counselor know. Some
women have bleeding like a period for a week or so and others
may only have spotting.
Running, heavy lifting and tub bathing should be avoided. The
only absolute restrictions that you have are no tampons, douching
or sexual intercourse for 3 weeks. This is to prevent infection
and the risk of another pregnancy.
After this time, you may return to the Center for a follow-up
abortion examination and complimentary birth control, which includes
your choice of birth control pills, patches or the Nuvaring (nuvaring.com).
For confidential after-abortion counseling and support click here www.4exhale.org
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