MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ABORTION

1. DOES IT HURT?
   ANSWER: This is not a painfree procedure, you will have cramping like menstrual cramps. We offer oral (pills) sedation and twilight sedation if needed.



2. HOW LONG DOES THE PROCEDURE TAKE?
   ANSWER: The actual procedure only takes a few minutes in most cases 2-3 minutes.



3. HOW LONG WILL I BE AT THE CLINIC?
   ANSWER: You will be here a minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 5 hours.



4. HOW LONG WILL I BE OUT OF WORK/SCHOOL?
   ANSWER: Usually you can return to work/school the next day as long as your not picking up anything heavy or standing for a long period of time.



5. CAN I DRIVE MYSELF HOME?
   ANSWER: If you are not taking any sedation you can drive yourself home, but if you take the oral or twilight sedation you do need someone to drive you home.



6. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORAL SEDATION AND TWILIGHT SEDATION?
   ANSWER: Oral sedation is pills you take by mouth (valium 10mg tabs (2) and a phenergan 25mg tab (2). Which makes you feel more relaxed and less nervous. The twilight sedation is an IV push of Nubain and phenergan which makes you really drunk like you’ve had a bottle of champaign by yourself.



7. WILL I BE ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN AFTER AN ABORTION?
   ANSWER: You should have no problems with having children later when you are ready as long as you take care of yourself afterwards. An abortion is safer than having a full term delivery, but you should wait at least 6 months to a year before trying to get pregnant again.



8. IS THIS DONE IN ONE DAY?
   ANSWER: Everything can be done in one day most of the time. Some girls need a two day process which consists of an ultrasound and filling out all their paperwork plus counseling on one day and coming back on the second day for the procedure. This may be necessary if a patient wants to reduce her time at the clinic. Or if the patient is very young and needs more one on one counseling than an older patient.



9. DO MY PARENTS NEED TO KNOW?
   ANSWER: There is no parental consent law in the state of Florida. We do require that someone who is at least 18 years or older come with the patient on surgery day to sign a (friend of a minor) form to insure us that the patient will take her antibiotics and call us if she has any problems and also to make sure the minor comes back for her follow-up exam to make sure everything went back to normal.



10. IS THIS KEPT CONFIDENTIAL?
    ANSWER: All the paperwork that you sign is kept very confidential. That’s why it’s very important that you bring picture I.D. with you on surgery day, it helps us to insure your confidentiality. If anyone requests any information about any patient before looking for records we request the picture I.D.