Women can protect against unwanted pregnancies by using birth control, which may include synthetic hormones. Non-hormone types of birth control may offer other benefits, such as protection from sexually transmitted diseases. If a woman becomes pregnant and has health or personal reasons for not wanting to keep the pregnancy, she may have an abortion.
Types
MedlinePlus lists two types of abortions: medical abortion and surgical abortion. With a medical abortion, a woman takes a pill such as mifepristone that contains high amounts of synthetic hormones. Planned Parenthood explains that women may have a medical abortion up to 63 days into the pregnancy. In a surgical abortion, a doctor uses a vacuum to remove the fetus. If a doctor performs a surgical abortion past 12 weeks into a pregnancy, he will need to dilate the woman's cervical canal.
With hormonal methods of birth control, women receive either a combination of synthetic estrogen and progestin or progestin only. The National Women's Health Information Center notes that the "mini-pill" contains only progestin, while the combined pill contains both hormones. Other hormonal birth control methods include the patch, birth control injection, vaginal ring, intrauterine device and birth control implant. If a woman has unprotected sex, she may use emergency contraception within 72 hours, which also contains hormones. Barrier methods, such as the female or male condom, contraceptive sponge, cervical cap or diaphragm, create a physical barricade between the sperm and egg and do not contain hormones. Other methods of birth control include abstinence, the rhythm method and sterilization.
Purpose
Besides protection against pregnancy, barrier method birth control also protects women and men from sexually transmitted diseases. The American Academy of Family Physicians explains that hormonal birth control may help with premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramping, and may also reduce the number of days of menstruation. MedlinePlus notes that a woman may choose to have an abortion if the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault, if the pregnancy harms her health, if she does not want to be pregnant or if the fetus has a birth defect.
Effectiveness
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that abstinence is the only 100% effective way a woman can avoid getting pregnant or acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. The other types of birth control methods have varying levels of effectiveness. For example, the American Academy of Family Physicians explains that less than 1 percent of women become pregnant after using a birth control shot, intrauterine device or after undergoing sterilization; 1 to 2 percent of women become pregnant after using the pill, vaginal ring or patch. Planned Parenthood points out that the medical abortion is 97 percent effective, and adds that surgical abortion works almost every time.
Risks
MedlinePlus notes that with a medical abortion, women may require surgery afterward if the medication does not work. Other risks include continued bleeding, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or pain. Risks for surgical abortion include cervical or uterine damage, uterine or fallopian tube infection and excessive bleeding. Some women may have emotional distress after undergoing a surgical abortion. The American Academy of Family Physicians points out that spermicides that contain nonoxynol-9 may irritate the genitals and increase a person's risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease. Women taking a hormonal birth control may gain weight or develop increased blood pressure or depression. The National Women's Health Information Center warns that women should not use a birth control shot for more than two years in a row as this may lead to a temporary bone density loss.
Considerations
Using a regular form of birth control, either hormonal or non-hormonal, may prevent a woman from needing an abortion. The National Women's Health Information Center warns that the withdrawal method, in which a man pulls out before he ejaculates, is not an effective form of birth control as sperm may be released in his pre-ejaculation fluid.
