It is always better to get an abortion done at the earliest, to avoid any complications. When calculated from the last month period (LMP), around 88% of all the abortions done in the United States are done in the first 12-13 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes, for various reasons, a woman might cross this period and get an abortion later. In such scenarios, you should consider how it will impact your health and whether you will have to consider any law regulations set for getting an abortion.

How Early Can You Get an Abortion?

Actually, it can be as early as 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. This is usually the time when intra-uterine pregnancy is confirmed. In many areas, it is consider "intent to murder" if you try to get an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

So if you are still thinking about having an abortion, especially in the second or even third trimester, you should take abortions laws into consideration. You can find the details of legal situation pertaining to abortion and other information here.

Opt for Contraceptive Measures

Abortion may hurt your body and even damage your ability to have babies in the future, so if you are not planning to get pregnant, you can take an emergency contraceptive pill or morning after pill. This can be used when your contraceptive measure fails – condom tearing, condom slipping off – or having unprotected sex.

Depending on the pill, it can be effective for as long as 120 hours, however, its effect decreases with time. Emergency contraceptive pills should be taken only in time of emergency and not as a regular contraceptive.

Options for Early Abortion

Abortion can be done through various measures, depending on the duration of pregnancy. In the first trimester it can be done medically or surgically. Neither type can reduce the chance of getting pregnant or staying pregnant in the future. 

What Are the Side Effects of an Abortion?

1. Physical Side Effects

Besides the symptoms we have mentioned in the above chart, some other side effects of abortions are:

• Nausea, Vomiting and diarrhea
• Heavy bleeding with blood clots
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Infection or sepsis in uterus
• Uterus can get perforated or there can be scarring of the uterine lining
• The cervix or other organs can get damaged
• Really rare, but death may happen

2. Psychological Sides Effects

No matter what the answer to "how early can you get an abortion" is, you will be definitely affected by it. So the decision of getting an abortion should be made after it has been well thought of. Some of the mental health effects are given below:

• Regret, guilty feelings and anger
• Losing self-confidence, having suicidal thoughts or feelings
• Feeling lonely or isolated, having issues in the relationship
• Shame, depression and anxiety
• Eating disorders, insomnia or having nightmares

What to Do After an Abortion

Periods resumes after 4-5 weeks of getting an abortion and it is possible to conceive as well. However, it is important to take care yourself after an abortion. Here are some tips:

• Avoid using tampons or having sex for the first week after an abortion. But stick to using pads, if you are bleeding.
• Ensure that you take all prescribed medication you doctor give you including antibiotics.
• If you get hospitalized within 30 days of getting an abortion, the clinic should be informed about the abortion.
• You should feel fine and normal 2 weeks after an abortion. If not, contact the clinic.
• Avoid taking a pregnancy test soon after an abortion as the hormones will still present in the body and the test might still come positive.
• If you are travelling around in a bus, train or car, walk around or stretch yourself a bit every 5-10 minutes.
• Ensure that you get plenty of fluids, eat well, avoid alcohol and street drugs for 48 hours, do not smoke and do heavy exercises or lifting heavy objects for 3-4 days.

Hope this article answers the question of how early can you get an abortion and other health concerns.