Abortions in Saskatoon
In Saskatoon, abortions are available by referral until 12 weeks into the pregnancy.
Referrals are available from Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon (either in person or by phone),
from the Community Clinic, or from your family doctor (if you're comfortable asking).
Medical Terminations
Medical terminations are performed until 7 weeks in the pregnancy, and are
basically a medically-induced miscarriage. The process begins with
an appointment with a pro-choice doctor, who will give you a physical
exam, confirm your pregnancy, and speak with you briefly to ensure
you're certain about your choice.
From there, you'll receive a prescription for the necessary medication.
There is a cost for this medication - the amount varies depending
on the pharmacy used, and the amount of medication needed (it varies
depending on body weight). The maximum cost is $75.
You'll bring the medication right back to the doctor (same day) and
receive an injection - this stops fetal development. A few days later,
either on your own (with instructions from the doctor) or at a second
appointment, several tablets will be placed on your cervix. These
tablets cause the miscarriage.
The other option, available until 12 weeks in the pregnancy, is a surgical termination.
Surgical Terminations
A surgical termination also begins with an appointment with a pro-choice doctor: a physical exam,
a confirmation of pregnancy, and a discussion to ensure you are certain of your decision. This is all your first appointment
consists of with a surgical termination.
From there, the doctor will arrange a second date, the date of the
actual termination, to be done at a hospital in the city. Surgical
terminations are done on Day Surgery and they are performed under
general anesthetic. There can be a lot of waiting with day surgery
and terminations are no exception - so it's a good idea to bring a
book, or some music, or even better, someone for support and company
with you. The procedure itself is only about 15 minutes. However,
you may be groggy or nauseous afterwards from the anesthetic, so you
will need to arrange for someone else to drive you home.
Abortion is a safe medical procedure. There are however possible problems that can occur. Complications might include bleeding,
infection or injury to the cervix, uterus or nearby organs. These problems are rare, and usually are not serious. Most are easy
to treat when symptoms are reported right away.
Things to be Aware Of:
- Infection: if you have a fever, aches, nausea, etc., these could be signs of infection and you should seek medical attention quickly at a local hospital
- Haemorrhaging: most women bleed after an abortion anywhere from 3-10 days (it is also normal to not bleed at all). However, if you are soaking more than a heavy pad in an hour you could be haemorrhaging and you need to seek medical attention quickly at a local hospital.
- Use pads not tampons until all bleeding has stopped. When your period has returned to normal (usually within a month) you may resume using tampons.
- You may return to work/school etc., whenever you feel like it but avoid strenuous activity for 2-3 days.
- Avoid taking baths for a couple of weeks in order to reduce the risk of infection
- Avoid sexual intercourse for three weeks. It is possible to become pregnant again and there is a higher risk of infection
- Check with your doctor to see when you should begin taking the birth control pill again
- Be sure to have a check-up with a doctor after 2-3 weeks
For more information, please call Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon at 244-7989.