Patient's question:
Is it better to have an abortion the earlier the better? I want to get this thing resolved sooner.Doctor's answer:
This idea is wrong.First, the pregnancy duration is too short, and the changes in the uterus are not significant. Using urine tests with immune anticoagulation methods or ultrasound to diagnose pregnancy also yields the highest positive rates after 40 days of missed periods. Unless there are conditions to test for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the blood, it cannot be diagnosed as early pregnancy.
Second, many women of childbearing age have irregular menstrual cycles, which are easily affected by emotions, seasonal changes, or physical health conditions. As a result, their periods may be delayed, sometimes lasting more than 40 days before they arrive. Before that, it is difficult to confirm whether they are already pregnant.
Third, undergoing an induced abortion too early is risky because the embryo is just beginning to develop and is very small. This can easily lead to incomplete aspiration or leakage, causing surgical failure or incomplete miscarriage. In such cases, a second procedure, such as a uterine curettage, may be required, causing additional pain.
Therefore, it is most appropriate to have an induced abortion after 40 days of missed periods if a pregnancy is confirmed through examination. At this stage, the surgical success rate is high, bleeding is minimal, and the pain is relatively light.