An early abortion is generally defined as one that occurs before the 10th week of pregnancy. Having the procedure done during this time allows a person to quickly act on her decision before the fetus goes through major developmental changes. It also affords her the opportunity to terminate the pregnancy using safer and gentler options than she will have later. The negative aspect of early abortions is that the feeling of having a deadline can motivate a woman who has not made a firm decision to act prematurely.
Early abortion allows a woman to terminate her pregnancy before there are any visible signs so that she can move on with her life. This is a benefit to women who have made firm decisions. On the contrary, early abortion can place pressure on women who are contemplating whether this is the step that they would like to take. Some women end up feeling that they made hasty decisions and find themselves wishing that they had taken more time to consider their actions.
Even when a woman knows for sure that she wants an abortion, there is a possibility that she may experience some adverse psychological and emotional effects afterward. Some women may be able to lessen their chances of these experiences if they have an early abortion. One reason why is because those individuals spend less time as pregnant women, and this can limit their emotional attachment to the fetus. Another reason is that many people feel less guilty about terminating pregnancies when the fetus is undeveloped.
Some women choose to have medical abortions. The use of drugs to induce a miscarriage is considered one of the safest options, but it is usually recommended only for people who are up to seven weeks pregnant. Medical professionals commonly advise women not even to wait until the end of this period, because the sooner the procedure is performed the less likely it is to fail. A woman who has the procedure done early is also likely to experience less pain and bleeding.
The more a pregnancy progresses, the more complicated it can become to terminate it. Having an early abortion is generally better for a woman’s physical health. After the period for an early abortion passes, the chances that a woman will have to have a surgical procedure substantially increase. These procedures are noted to have risks that could be avoided if the termination is executed earlier.