Abortion: Exams And Tests

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Exams and Tests

Examinations and tests are used to diagnose a pregnancy and to check for any health conditions you may have that need special consideration. Regardless of whether you know that you would continue a pregnancy or have an abortion, your evaluation will include a medical history, a physical exam, and some laboratory tests.

Whether you are a teenager or an adult, rest assured that the law protects your privacy. Your gynecological exam and test results are your private information. Your doctor will not share your private information with anyone but you unless you give permission to do so.

A physical exam before an abortion includes:

• Taking your vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate.
• Listening to your heart and lungs.
• Performing a pelvic exam to determine the size and shape of your uterus. The size of the uterus can help estimate the number of weeks you are pregnant. A pelvic exam also allows your doctor to check the ovaries and fallopian tubes for a possible tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, which would feel like an abnormal mass in the pelvis.

Laboratory tests before an abortion include:

• A urine pregnancy test to determine that you are pregnant. (You may have missed a menstrual cycle for another reason, such as stress, and not because you are pregnant.)
• A blood test to determine:
  • Whether you have low blood iron (anemia). If you have anemia, your doctor may want you to take some iron supplements before and after an abortion.
  • Your blood type and whether you are Rh-negative. If you are Rh-negative, you should receive a vaccine called Rh immune globulin after an abortion. For more information, see the topic Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy.
• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), if you are at high risk for an STD. This is not a routine test before an abortion but may be done to reduce the risk of complications, such as an infection, after the procedure.
• A Pap smear to check for cervical cell abnormalities (dysplasia), if you are due for one (not a routine test before an abortion).

An ultrasound may be done to check your uterus size and shape and to make sure the pregnancy is in the uterus. A transvaginal ultrasound done in the first trimester is the most accurate method of learning how long you have been pregnant.

Last updated:	September 29, 2008
Author:	Healthwise Medical Writer
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Rebecca H. Allen, MD, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Healthwise Content Area Manager, Healthwise Associate Editor