Most women are able to have abortions at clinics or outpatient facilities if the procedure is performed early in pregnancy. Women who have stable diabetes, controlled epilepsy, mild to moderate high blood pressure, or who are HIV positive can often have abortions as outpatients if precautions are taken. Women with heart disease, previous endocarditis , asthma , lupus erythematosus, uterine fibroid tumors, blood clotting disorders, poorly controlled epilepsy, or some psychological disorders usually need to be hospitalized in order to receive special monitoring and medications during the procedure. Very early abortions Between five and seven weeks, a pregnancy can be ended by a procedure called menstrual extraction. This procedure is also sometimes called menstrual regulation, mini-suction, or preemptive abortion.
Suction is applied either by a bulb syringe or a small pump.
Menstrual extractions are safe, but because the amount of fetal material is so small at this stage of development, it is easy to miss. This results in an incomplete abortion that means the pregnancy continues. The first trimester of pregnancy includes the first 13 weeks after the last menstrual period. It is the safest time in which to have an abortion, and the time in which women have the most choice of how the procedure is performed. Medical abortions Medical abortions are brought about by taking medications that end the pregnancy.