What do I have to tell a health care provider after an abortion?
TALKING TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AFTER A FIRST TRIMESTER MISCARRIAGE OR ABORTION
Excerpted from If/When/How.org
Disclaimer: This information is not legal or medical advice. For legal questions, contact reprolegalhelpline.org. For medical questions about miscarriage or abortion, contact the M+A Hotline at mahotline.org.
How do I know if I need to see a health care provider (a doctor, a nurse, or anyone who works at a hospital or medical clinic) after an abortion or miscarriage?
If you don’t know if you need medical attention during or after an abortion or miscarriage, you can securely and confidentially speak with a health care provider by calling or texting the M+A Hotline at 1-833-246-2632. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has information on when to contact a health care provider after an abortion, as does this article by Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi. Healthline published an article on what to expect during a miscarriage.
What if I don’t want to tell my health care provider that I had an abortion?
Abortion is pregnancy loss. Miscarriage is also pregnancy loss. You can use words with your health care provider that feel right for you. The pills used for abortions are the same ones that health care providers give patients to help pass a miscarriage. There is no evidence-based blood test for these pills. Health care providers can’t tell you took these pills to end a pregnancy if you put the pills between your gums and cheek or under your tongue.
I had an abortion or miscarriage and think I need to see a health care provider, but I am worried about telling anyone.
Health care providers might ask questions that you feel scared or nervous to answer, especially if you are under the age of 18 and worried the provider may tell your parents. If you have questions about where you can get safe follow-up care, or what is important to share with a provider, contact the Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812 or ReproLegalHelpline.org for free, confidential legal information and advice.
What does a health care provider need to know to take good care of me after a miscarriage or an abortion?
Your health care provider will want to know what symptoms you are experiencing. They will ask if you have cramping or bleeding. If you are bleeding, they will ask you how much bleeding and for how long. But you do not have to tell them any specifics about your pregnancy loss.
Health care providers also cannot tell if you had an abortion through a test or exam. In some cases, it is possible that a health care provider may be able to see your medical records from another hospital or clinic, and could see a past abortion or pregnancy in those records. Abortions are health care. And if a health care provider asks you questions about prior abortions that make you feel uncomfortable, you do not have to answer those questions or justify the decisions you made.
Do I have to tell a health care provider or hospital that I had an abortion?
No. There is no law that says you have to tell a health care provider or hospital that you had an abortion. You get to decide what details you share. This is true all the time, for any medical care you might get.
If I tell my health care provider that I had an abortion, can they tell anyone else?
HIPAA is a law that says doctors and other health care providers must keep your medical information private unless you agree to share it. There may also be other reasons that health care providers are allowed to share your information, for example, if they think you might try to hurt yourself or someone else. They do NOT have to tell the police if someone has an abortion, but we know some choose to anyway.
If you think your health care provider has told or might tell someone about your abortion, call the Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868- 2812.