With all the news about the recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion and the headlines about Roe v. Wade being overturned, you may be unsure whether abortion is still legal in Oregon. The answer is yes. In reality, the Supreme Court decision declared that it is now up to each individual state to set their own abortion laws, rather than the federal government.
Oregon Abortion Laws
Abortion with no restrictions has been legal in Oregon for many years, through all 9 months of pregnancy. The legality of abortion in Oregon was further protected in 2017 with the passing of the Reproductive Health Equity Act, thus ensuring that the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not impact access to an abortion in the state.
Types of Abortion in Oregon
There are two types of abortion–surgical and medical.
A surgical abortion is an invasive medical procedure that needs to be performed in a healthcare facility.
With a surgical abortion, a doctor removes your pregnancy from your uterus by inserting a suction tube into your dilated cervix. As with other medical procedures, a surgical abortion brings a chance of complications, including:
- Damage to the uterus or cervix
- Uterine perforation
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes
- Scarring of the inside of the uterus
- Reaction to the medicines or anesthesia, such as problems breathing
- Not removing all of the tissue, requiring another procedure
As the name describes, a medical abortion uses medicine to end your pregnancy. This is also why it is commonly referred to as “the abortion pill”.
The most common type of medical abortion is a series of two pills. The first pill is used to prevent the fertilized egg from growing in your body. This is done by blocking your body from producing the hormone that allows an egg to grow in your uterus. The second pill then causes your uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy tissues out of your body by passing through your vagina.
While a medical abortion is completely legal in Oregon, there are medical limitations with how the pill can be used–for example, a medical abortion is only approved by the FDA for the first 70 days of your pregnancy.
That is why it is important, for your health and safety, to confirm the details of your pregnancy with a medical professional before pursuing a medical abortion.
There are also known risks to a medical abortion that you should be aware of, including:
- Incomplete abortion (which may need to be followed by surgical abortion)
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy (if the procedure doesn’t work)
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Digestive system discomfort
- Infection
- Fever
It’s Your Choice
While abortion is completely legal in Oregon, you can not be forced to get an abortion against your will. It’s your right to decide what is best for your body and your health.
That is why if you suspect you are pregnant–or have used an at-home pregnancy test and gotten a positive result–the important first step is to get all the information you can about your pregnancy and know all the options that are available to you.
Dove Medical can provide you with a free, lab-quality pregnancy test that is 99% accurate, as well as a confidential consultation with one of our nurses about the results of your pregnancy test. Depending on the results of your pregnancy test, our medical staff may recommend an ultrasound at no cost to you.
An ultrasound is used to confirm the location of your pregnancy, how far along you are, and if there is heartbeat activity.
Get the Answers You Need
It’s your body and your future, so getting all the information you can about your pregnancy will empower you to make the best decision for yourself.
The medical professionals at Dove Medical are on hand and ready to provide you with the services you need to start getting you the answers you deserve about your potential pregnancy. Contact us today to schedule a no-cost, confidential pregnancy diagnosis appointment.
This post is for education and information purposes only and does not substitute the advice of a Healthcare Professional.
Dove Medical offers pregnancy diagnosis, decision coaching, and accurate information about all pregnancy options; however we do not offer or refer for abortion services.