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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. 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 procedure,
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 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 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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