At Dr Noah Women's Clinic, we specialise in treatment, advice & support for people considering abortion
An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy. There are two types of abortion: medical abortion and surgical abortion. Abortion is a common medical procedure: nearly one in three pregnancies ends in an abortion worldwide.
It is important to make the right decision for you, and part of this is having all the information you need.
If you decide an abortion is the right decision for you, we can help you. We offer medical and surgical abortions at our clinics across South Africa. You can also call our advice line if you want to talk through your options with someone.
Get in touch: we have same-day appointments available for abortion care.
We are here if you’d like to talk through your options with someone.
Types of abortion: medical and surgical
At Dr Noah , we offer two types of abortion: medical abortion and surgical abortion.
Medical abortion (or the abortion pill, as it’s sometimes called) involves taking two types of medication at different times to end a pregnancy. It is available up to 9 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy.
Surgical abortion is a safe and simple procedure carried out by specialist doctors in a clinic, and involves the pregnancy being removed through the vagina using a suction method. It is available up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy.
Early Medical Abortion
Early Medical Abortion (EMA) or ‘the abortion pill’ – involves taking two medicines to end the pregnancy. The first medicine, Mifepristone, works by blocking the hormone progesterone.
The second medicine, misoprostol, makes the womb contract, causing cramping, bleeding and expulsion of the pregnancy.
The benefits of having an early medical abortion are:
Surgical Abortion
Surgical abortion is a safe and simple procedure used to end a pregnancy. There are different methods used depending on your health, personal choice and gestation (stage of pregnancy). A surgical abortion is a minor operation performed as a day case (you will return home the same day).
Vacuum Aspiration (VA)
This method is generally used up to 14 weeks of pregnancy and involves passing a tube into the uterus through the cervix (the opening to the womb from the vagina). The surgeon uses gentle suction to remove the pregnancy.
This procedure is very quick, usually taking 10-15 minutes. Recovery is also quick and you can usually leave the clinic after resting for a short period of time.
We can usually perform VA under local anesthetic with or without sedation.
Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E)
This method is normally used after 14 weeks of pregnancy. It involves inserting special instruments called forceps through the cervix and into the uterus to remove the pregnancy.
D&E is usually carried out under sedation or General Anaesthetic (GA). The procedure normally takes about 10- 20 minutes.
Pre-Surgery Advice
Your appointment time is your arrival time. You should expect to be at the clinic for most of the day. Patients are not always seen in the order they arrive due to the different procedures we undertake.
