News of a possible pregnancy can be a joyful for most women. However for some women, this can be an unexpected occurrence. Unplanned pregnancy is quite a common occurrence with as many as three million unplanned pregnancies occurring in the United States alone.
An unplanned pregnancy as the name suggests is a pregnancy that has not been planned for. Such a pregnancy can result if a couple has sex without contraception or where the condom tears during sex.
An unplanned pregnancy needs to be detected like any other normal pregnancy through a pregnancy test. A home pregnancy kit can help a woman positively determine if she is pregnant. A doctor should confirm the news of pregnancy.
An unplanned pregnancy may be a huge shock and taking a decision immediately after the detection is not always possible. It is advisable for the woman to talk to her partner, family and friends before taking a decision. It is also advisable for the woman to get all the information from community centers and medical health professionals. This will allow her to get counseling and seek advice from professionals.
In case of an unplanned pregnancy being detected the woman can choose to take an emergency pill. Such a pill can be taken till a period of around three days after indulging in unprotected sex. This can help in eliminating the pregnancy. An IUD can also be fitted till around five days after unprotected sex. This emergency contraception is easily available with family planning and sexual health agencies and hospitals.
Abortion is also an option where an unplanned pregnancy is involved. The safety in an abortion and any risks associate with it depend on some factors like how many weeks pregnant is the woman, age of the woman, the kind of abortion or operation and whether she has been pregnant before. The general health of the woman is also important in determining any risks associated with the procedure.
Early abortions are usually conducted before 12th or the 14th week of the pregnancy period through vacuum aspiration. Medical abortion is done through mifepristone and these procedures are quite simple and safe and there are not many complications in these procedures.
Complications arising from abortions following an unplanned pregnancy can be avoided if the medical team conducting and assisting the abortion is an experienced one.
Where abortion is performed by experienced staff and a comprehensive service is provided the possibility of complications is minimized. Abortion following an unplanned pregnancy can result in some complications in certain cases such as minor or major infections. There may be retention of fetal tissue and also perforation of the uterus or the womb.
The news of an unplanned pregnancy can result in shock, worry and fear. Before taking any decision it is important that the woman remains calm and contemplates over the news. Some factors that need to be considered before taking a decision about the unplanned pregnancy include whether the woman and her partner are ready to have a child. Are they financially capable of carrying the pregnancy through its term, is the expectant mother mentally prepared for motherhood.
Terminating an unplanned pregnancy may cause the woman to experience guilt, worry, depression and even a mild sense of relief if she is not prepared for motherhood. A good support system will help her cope with these feelings. In case the decision is made to continue with this unplanned pregnancy then it is advisable for the woman and her partner to get all the information about pregnancy so that they can be well equipped to handle the changes.
