A positive pregnancy test can make you think about decisions you may never have expected to face. If parenting does not feel like the right fit for your situation, you may be comparing abortion and adoption and wondering what each option would look like.
They are very different, both medically and emotionally. Learning what each involves can help you decide which one lines up more closely with your circumstances and your long-term goals.
Haven Health offers confidential pregnancy services and information about your options to help you during this process. Schedule an appointment today if you want a confidential place to ask questions before making a decision.
What Abortion Involves
Abortion ends a pregnancy. The type of procedure generally depends on how far along the pregnancy is.
Medical abortion uses two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, while misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy. Cramping and bleeding will occur with this abortion method, and other side effects and risks are possible.
Surgical abortion is performed in a clinic, hospital, or doctor’s office and uses suction, instruments, or both to remove the pregnancy from the uterus. The procedure used depends in part on how far along you are.
If abortion is something you are seriously considering, learn about the procedure, possible risks, recovery, and how your own health history may affect decision-making.
What Adoption Looks Like Today
Adoption means continuing the pregnancy and making a legal plan for another family to raise your child.
Birth parents often have more involvement than people realize. Depending on the plan, you may be able to review prospective adoptive families and decide what level of future contact you would like.
An open adoption can include direct communication through photos, letters, phone calls, or visits. A semi-open adoption generally allows some communication while using an agency or other third party. In a closed adoption, with no contact before or after placement, all identities remain completely anonymous.
Colorado law also allows certain post-adoption contact agreements to be approved by the court. When the legal requirements are met, those agreements can address future contact and may be enforced through the court. An adoption attorney or licensed adoption professional can explain how that would apply to your situation.
Get More Information
When you are stressed, it is understandable to focus only on what feels easiest right now.
Try to look further ahead. Think about how you feel about continuing the pregnancy, whether you would want contact with your child after adoption, what questions you have about abortion, and what kind of support is available to you.
Haven Health can help you confirm your pregnancy and learn about the options available to you. Schedule a confidential appointment today to get your questions answered and find out what services are available.
Haven Health does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
