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Chapter 38 - Termination of Pregnancy

Surgical Methods

from Section 2B - Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: Termination of Pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2024

By
Barbara Salje  and
Michelle Cooper
Edited by
Johannes Bitzer  and
Tahir A. Mahmood
Johannes Bitzer
Affiliation:
University Women's Hospital, Basel
Tahir A. Mahmood
Affiliation:
Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
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Summary

Surgical termination of pregnancy was the first widespread method of abortion available. However, rates have declined in recent decades across Western Europe due to the increasing popularity of medical methods. In 2018 in England, 29% of abortions were performed surgically and most of these (24%) were by vacuum aspiration (VA)[1]. Vacuum aspiration is the principal technique used for surgical abortion at gestations under 14 weeks. Later surgical abortion is generally achieved by the distinct procedure of dilatation and evacuation (D&E). Sharp curettage in surgical abortion (where the uterine lining is scraped with a metal instrument) is now considered obsolete [2, 3].

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Chapter
Information
Textbook of Contraception, Sexual and Reproductive Health , pp. 233 - 238
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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