Abortion Clinic Health and Safety Checklist

Some Health and Safety Issues to Consider Prior to an Abortion:

Before you go to an abortion clinic or visit another abortion provider, you are strongly encouraged to consider some relevant and important safety and health issues:

Confirm Your Pregnancy:
One step you should take is to be certain you are pregnant. It is possible that you are not. Call 1-800-395-HELP or e-mail us 24/7, and our trained phone consultants will connect you to a local pregnancy center that offers free pregnancy tests. Your local pregnancy center will also either directly offer you or refer you to other pregnancy confirmation services.

Understand the Risks of the Abortion Procedure:
Every abortion procedure involves some potential risk of harm. You have the legal right to know what type of procedure will be performed upon you and what specific risks of harm are associated with the performance of this procedure on you. This website and our trained phone consultants can help you begin to understand some of the potential physical and psychological affects that an abortion may have upon you.

Investigate the Qualifications of the Abortion Provider:
Find out the name of the abortion doctor who will perform your abortion procedure. Make sure that the person who will perform the abortion is a licensed physician and a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist. Also, make sure that the abortion doctor has appropriate privileges to admit you to a hospital in the event that there are any complications. Many states maintain public records about past medical malpractice judgments and settlements. Call the appropriate state agency to find out about any medical malpractice suits involving the abortion doctor who is scheduled to perform your abortion. You should be wary of any abortion doctor who has an unusual history of multiple malpractice suits.

Maintain the Right to Say "No":
Since abortion is almost always an elective surgery, you can change your mind at any time right up until the abortion has begun. You have every right to say, "I've changed my mind," while you are in the waiting room or on the table awaiting the abortion. Saying "Stop!" is your right. Don't feel pressured into having the abortion if you've decided against it or just want time to reconsider.

Note: Our network of participating pregnancy centers offers peer counseling and accurate information about all pregnancy options; however, these centers do not offer or directly refer for abortion services.