Hi, and welcome to Telefem! It’s so nice to meet you! If this is your first time here, we want to tell you that you’re in a safe space, full of trust. We are here to answer all your questions and provide you with trustworthy information regarding safe abortion in Mexico. Let me introduce you to one of our articles, and if you still have questions, feel free to contact us through WhatsApp!
This time, I want to talk to you about what happens in the body after undergoing a safe abortion from home. This way, you will know what to expect and some recommendations to live it with well-being. Let’s begin!
Healing After a Safe, at-home Abortion: What to Expect with Bleeding & Cramps
It is essential to know that in a medicated abortion, there is heavy bleeding and cramps. Even after the product has been expelled, you may experience cramps and bleeding in the following days, but these symptoms will decrease over time. Some people do not experience heavy bleeding, while others have spotting that lasts for weeks. It varies from person to person, but generally, the earlier in the pregnancy the abortion is performed, the fewer cramps and bleeding there will be afterward.1
In any abortion method (with misoprostol alone, with misoprostol + mifepristone, or by uterine aspiration), bleeding will occur. In one hand, bleeding is heavier when the method used is medication, and it can last several weeks; on the other hand, when a uterine aspiration is performed, it may last only a couple of days.2 In a safe abortion with medication, bleeding and cramps may be less if the combined regimen is used.
If you seek a combined regimen up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, we can send you the Telefem kit to your preferred location and connect you with specialists who will guide you.
Pregnancy symptoms disappear
A few hours or days after bleeding, the rapid disappearance of pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, breast tenderness, or sensitivity, should occur. Other discomforts (if present), such as sleep issues, frequent urination, and changes in taste and smell, should also disappear.2
Fertility returns immediately after an induced abortion
A woman or person capable of gestation could ovulate two weeks after the abortion. In pregnancies of early gestational age, this can happen within 8-10 days, so it is considered that fertility returns immediately.3
Therefore, if you do not want to become pregnant again, you should choose a contraceptive method as soon as possible. If it is a long-term method, it can be placed on the day the abortion process begins.4
Your Period After Abortion: What to Expect & When It Returns
Most women and people who are childbearing have their period between four and six weeks after the evacuation of the product.5 If eight weeks or more have passed since the abortion and menstruation has not occurred, it is necessary to seek advice from a specialist.1
For follow-up after a medication abortion, you can trust Telefem; we connect you with specialists who will guide you before, during, and after the legal pregnancy termination. Get to know us!
Pregnancy tests are negative
A negative test generally confirms a complete abortion. However, a pregnancy test can be negative even if the person is still pregnant (false negative). Urine pregnancy tests, both high and low sensitivity, can yield positive results even after a complete abortion (false positive) because hCG levels remain elevated for at least 18 days after medication termination. But, the test should be negative after 3 weeks of the procedure.5,6
Post-Abortion Syndrome: Fact or Myth? What Science Says
There is no scientific evidence that abortion causes mental health problems. The “post-abortion syndrome” does not exist. People who decide to terminate a pregnancy may experience a range of emotions, often related to other conditions faced at that moment: relationship issues, family support, how the pregnancy was carried out, etc. Most people who decide to terminate a pregnancy feel relief when the process ends, especially if they have the opportunity to talk and feel supported.7
In 2011, in London, the Royal Medical Colleges (AMRC) analyzed all published studies in English from 1990 to 2011 on the emotional consequences of abortion. Most of the studies evaluated systematically and rigorously by the AMRC were conducted in the U.S. Based on the evidence and limitations within this broad range of studies, researchers reached the following conclusions:8
-Unplanned pregnancies increase the risk of mental health problems in women.
-A woman with an unplanned pregnancy may experience mental health issues both from abortion and childbirth.
-A woman with a history of mental health problems before abortion is more likely to have mental health issues afterward.
-Circumstances, conditions, behaviors, and other factors related to mental health problems are similar for women after abortion and those after childbirth.
-Pressure from a partner to abort, negative attitudes about the procedure, and negative perceptions of it can increase the risk of mental health problems after abortion.
Despite these findings, it is common to hear that abortion will be traumatic for women and pregnant people or that a “post-abortion syndrome” exists involving unpleasant emotions. These messages are popularized by activist groups opposing sexual and reproductive rights. However, neither the American Psychological Association nor the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes the existence of this phenomenon.8
This does not invalidate the experiences of women and pregnant people who experienced mental health effects after abortion. It is only important to consider the reasons around the process, as in a culture where stigma against choosing not to be a mother exists, judgments from society are common. Therefore, it is crucial to find a space where your decision to terminate a pregnancy is respected without judgment and where you are guided kindly through the process.
Telefem is a safe and reliable option that will connect you with specialists who support your decision and provide follow-up.
Now that you know more about what happens in the body and that the effects are not permanent, I invite you to continue learning about legal pregnancy termination and reproductive health. See you in the next blog!
We hope this information will be helpful to you. To know all you need about safe abortion, reproductive health, and the Legal Termination of Pregnancy, you’re more than welcome to visit our blog. We help you find answers to all your questions. We’ll see you there!
You’re Not Alone
Keeping in touch with trained professionals makes all the difference. That’s why Telefem is here — to guide and support you. With Telefem, you’ll be safe.
Send us a WhatsApp today — we’re ready to help.
* This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice and applies only to Mexico’s law and context.
References:
1. Abortion finder. El procedimiento del aborto. Lo que puedes esperar. 2024. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: All About In-Clinic Abortion Procedures | Before, During & After
2. Ipas Latinoamérica y el Caribe (Ipas LAC). Material de apoyo para el acompañamiento del aborto. 2. Durante un aborto inducido con medicamentos. 1era ed. 2022. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: IpasLAC2022-AcompanamientoAborto2.pdf
3. IPAS Latinoamérica y el caribe. Guía de consulta rápida para profesionales de la salud que brindan servicios de aborto y postaborto: Elementos clave para la atención a mujeres en situación de aborto. 2023. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: GuiaDidactica-Digital.pdf
4. Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas (UNFPA). Atención postaborto (apa) y sus complicaciones. Documento técnico para prestadores de servicios de salud. 2014. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: SM-IVE-DT-Atencion-postaborto.pdf
5. PROMSEX. Folleto y guía sobre aborto. Recomendaciones de qué hacer después de un aborto. 2010. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: folletoguiaaborto.pdf
6. Ipas. Confirmación de aborto completo. 2022. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: Confirmación de aborto completo – Ipas
7. Ipas Latinoamérica y el Caribe (Ipas LAC). Material de apoyo para el acompañamiento del aborto. 3. Después de un aborto inducido con medicamentos. 1era ed. 2022. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: IpasLAC2022-AcompanamientoAborto3.pdf
8. Planned Parenthood. Informe: Las consecuencias emocionales del aborto inducido. Biblioteca Katharine Dexter McCormick. 2012. [Visit October 2024]. [Internet]. Available at: Microsoft Word – emoteffectsa0112-Spanish