FAQs

What is abortion?
Is abortion safe and legal?
What are a woman's option for abortion at PPGG?
Does abortion cause breast cancer?
If a woman has an abortion, will she be able to become pregnant again?
What does an abortion feel like during the procedure and afterwards?
If I'm under 18, do I need my parents' consent or will they find out?
Is the "abortion pill" or RU-486 legal in the United States?
How much does an abortion cost?
How can I get more information about abortion?

The United States Supreme Court recently released a decision that will affect some second-trimester abortions (16-20 weeks gestation) provided at Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. For more information on what this means read the Abortion Ban Ruling Q & A.

Abortion is a way to end pregnancy. Sometimes, an embryo or fetus stops developing and the body expels it. This is called spontaneous abortion or "miscarriage."

A woman can also choose to end a pregnancy. This is called induced abortion. There are two types of abortion—surgical and medical.

• Surgical abortion can be performed by a physician between the 4th and 24th week of pregnancy.
• Medication abortion is a way to end a pregnancy without surgery. The abortion is induced using medications and it can be done up to 7 weeks of pregnancy.

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Abortion is safe and legal in the United States. Surgical abortion remains the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the country.

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A woman's options depend on what week of pregnancy she is in and certain medical factors. Pregnancy is measured from the first day of bleeding of the last menstrual period. PPGG's medical staff is available to explain all of the options a woman has.

Early Surgical Abortion is done by a process called vacuum aspiration.

This procedure ends an early pregnancy by gently suctioning the lining of the uterus and removing all of the tissue of the pregnancy. PPGG offers this method of abortion until the 14th week of pregnancy.

Medication Abortion induces the abortion using medications, and no surgery is necessary. The actual abortion happens in the privacy of a woman's home. PPGG offers medical abortion up to nine weeks of pregnancy using mifepristone (oral pills). Sevens days of anti-biotics will also be given.

Mid-Trimester Surgical Abortion is done between 14 and 20.6 weeks of pregnancy and uses a method called "D & E" (Dilatation and Evacuation). The patient will need evaluation to determine eligibility for a 2nd trimester abortion. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate offers D & E abortion until the 16th week of pregnancy. We do not perform abortions for women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant, but we will refer them to other providers.

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There is no sound scientific evidence that abortion causes breast cancer.

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Yes. Fertility usually returns quickly following abortion.

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At Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, with surgical abortion, a woman can be given local anesthesia or local anesthesia as well as conscious sedation.

• Local anesthesia numbs just the uterus and cervical area and allows the patient to be "awake" during the procedure. The patient will probably feel cramping during the procedure and afterwards.
• A woman choosing local anesthesia may also choose intravenous sedation, also known as conscious sedation. Conscious sedation uses medications that are injected directly into the vein. It will help the woman feel more relaxed without loss of consciousness during the procedure.

No matter what kind of anesthesia a woman chooses, she will have some bleeding after the procedure.

With medical abortion, the woman does not need anesthesia, but she will usually experience cramping and bleeding. With all of these methods, medication can be given to manage the pain.

Find out more about How Surgical Abortion Feels or How Medication Abortion Feels and What Happens Afterwards

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No. If you live in California, which does not have either parental consent or parental notification laws, you do not need parental consent to get an abortion. We will not notify your parents unless there are serious medical complications. However, if you can, we encourage you to involve your family in your decision to have an abortion.
Outside of the state of California, more than half of the states have parental consent or parental notification laws which require that minors get the consent of or notify either one or both parents or a legal guardian in order to have an abortion.

To learn what law governs in different states, visit the Alan Guttmacher Institute or visit the Center for Reproductive Rights.

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Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486 or the "abortion pill", is another substance that can cause abortion, but it is not yet generally available in the United States. It interferes with a pregnancy by causing the egg to detach from the uterine wall and is also used in conjunction with misoprostol. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate offers Medical Abortion using a drug called methotrexate in conjunction with misoprostol.

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The cost of an abortion depends on what week of pregnancy you are in, your income, whether or not you have insurance, and your family size. If you do not have insurance or do not make very much money, there may be funding to cover the complete cost of your abortion procedure.

Find out how much an abortion will cost by going to our online Cost Calculator.

Many private insurance companies will pay for abortion services at Planned Parenthood. You may call our Billing Department at (650) 574-5823 to find out if your insurance company provides coverage.

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For more questions and answers on abortion, visit Planned Parenthood Federation of America's website Information on Abortion.

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