| I'm Coming to Choices. What Can I Expect? |
REGISTRATION
When you arrive at CHOICES, you will first need to sign in and complete a self medical history.
You will be given an ID number that will be used instead of your name in order to
protect your privacy throughout your visit. This number is used only for identification, and does not
indicate in what order you will be seen. |
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You will need:
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Photo ID (driver's license or other government-issued ID; school or workplace ID, or passport)
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Insurance card or other method of payment
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Someone to accompany you home
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An empty stomach (nothing to eat or drink past midnight the night before)
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LAB
You will be asked to provide a urine sample, and blood will be drawn for necessary testing. CHOICES suggests, and if you choose, that an HIV test be done at this time, using the same blood sample.
SONOGRAPHY
A sonogram will be taken to determine your length of pregnancy. Regardless of whether you have had a sonogram elsewhere, it is CHOICES' policy to only use sonograms taken at our Medical Center. The technician
will not show you any images of the fetus or give you any information about the results (including your length of pregnancy). This information will be discussed with the Counselor who will show you the
sonogram if you choose to see it.
COUNSELING
The next step will be to meet with a Counselor. Your escort is welcome to join you for this part of the process, but the Counselor will first meet with you alone to discuss anything you would rather keep private. Counseling is a time for you to discuss any concerns you may have, and the Counselor will help you be sure that you are secure with your choice and understand all of your options before continuing with the abortion procedure. You will need to sign a consent form for the abortion procedure and, if you choose, for birth control and HIV testing. At this time, you will also make an appointment for a follow-up visit two weeks later. (There is no charge for this visit; it is included in the cost of the abortion.)
After counseling, a Medical Assistant will call you by your ID number and take you upstairs to the Surgical Suite. Your escort will need to wait downstairs in the waiting room, or may leave and return to pick you up when you are ready to go home. It is important that your escort remembers your ID number, as CHOICES' staff will not release any information about you to anyone who does not know your ID number.
INTAKE
Once you are upstairs, your vital signs (blood pressure and temperature) will be taken. You will be asked to change into a medical gown and will put your personal items into a locker. You will wait in this area until the Doctor is ready to see you. If you require an EKG, this will happen before the Doctor sees you.
OPERATING ROOM
For a first trimester abortion, when you are called to see the Doctor, a Medical Assistant will bring you into the operating room where the procedure will be done.
In most cases, you will be given general anesthesia (be put to sleep) for the procedure. The abortion is done by using a suction to remove the contents of your uterus.
You will not feel, hear or see anything during the procedure. The abortion procedure generally takes between 5-8 minutes. For detailed information, visit our
First Trimester Abortion page.
A second trimester abortion may be a two to three day procedure. For full details, please visit our Second Trimester Abortion page.
RECOVERY
When you wake up, the procedure will be over. You will be in the recovery room, and a nurse will be with you. It is common to have cramps when you wake up, and the nursing staff will be monitoring you to be sure that you are recovering normally. Once you are ready, you will be moved to the Discharge area.
DISCHARGE
In Discharge, you will have a snack and will be given aftercare instructions. A nurse will assess your vital signs to determine when you are ready to leave. After a first trimester abortion, you should be able to go home after about 45 minutes in Recovery and Discharge on average. After a second trimester abortion, you will need to stay about an hour in Recovery and Discharge. The exact time, however, can vary, and the physician will make the ultimate determination.
Once we have determined that you are feeling well enough to go home, you will meet with the Discharge Nurse who will go over your aftercare instructions and answer any questions you may have. After checking your vital signs again, you will be free to leave with your escort. If you have any concerns or questions after leaving, you can always call us and we will help in whatever way we can. In two weeks, you will return for a follow-up appointment. Remember, there is no charge for your follow-up appointment.
If you have come to CHOICES as an escort:
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The role of an escort is to provide support throughout the visit and to accompany your loved one home. We understand that the decision to end a pregnancy is not always made by a woman alone, and that this visit can be difficult for escorts, as well. Escorts are welcome to the counseling session, but will wait in the waiting room during the rest of the process or may leave and return when the patient is ready to go home. Escorts may ask the Front Desk any questions regarding the status of the patient, but information will only be given to those who have the patient's ID number, assigned at registration.
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USEFUL INFORMATION:
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There are phones in the Surgical Suite for patients' use, and a pay phone is in the waiting room for escorts
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During the counseling session, you will be scheduled to come in for a follow-up appointment two weeks later. The follow-up appointment is included in the fee for the abortion. CHOICES offers comprehensive GYN services and can provide you with care for all of your reproductive health needs. Before leaving CHOICES, please take our patient survey to help us improve and provide you with the best possible service.
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We have information on all forms of birth control and gynecological issues. Please ask your counselor for any material you are interested in
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If you speak a language other than English and require a translator, please alert the Front Desk when you register. |
| At CHOICES, we emphasize our philosophy of Patient Power, which means being an informed consumer of medical treatment with the knowledge and information that enables each individual to make appropriate decisions about medical care, whether in the area of general health, surgery or birth control. |
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