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Abortion/blood test predicting miscarriage?
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Question
My partner recently had an abortion without my knowledge. When I found out she said that she had been given a blood test that showed that she would have had a miscarriage had she chosen not to terminate the pregnancy. Is this common? What sort of complications resulting in miscarriage can be predicted by a blood test given less than a month after conception? I respect her choice in the matter but I would like some clarification. Thanks.
Chris,
A blood test that would predict miscarriage would have to be done at least twice. The blood test would moniter hCG (pregnancy hormone) levels in the blood, and compare values. If the levels are rising at a rate consistent with pregnancy, this is a sign that the pregnancy is viable; if it is dropping or staying the same, it is an indication of miscarriage. It would be unusual for a doctor to do a blood test and follow the levels unless they had some indication that there was something wrong with the pregnancy on ultrasound, or if she had symptoms of bleeding or spotting. Blood tests are not done routinely in a normal evaluation.
I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan
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Answers by Expert:
Doctor Early Options
Expertise
We are a group of family doctors who provide abortion care for over a decade. We can answer any health or medical related questions about early abortion, including the aspiration procedure, the abortion pill (RU486), or surgical abortion. We run a practice called Early Options, located in New York City: http://www.EarlyAbortionOptions.com. The practice is dedicated to making early abortion part of mainstream medical care. There are other family doctors around the United States who practice a similar approach to early abortion care: see http://www.EarlyAbortion.com. Please do not ask "private" questions so that other women can learn from your experience. Please tell me what country you are from so that we can better help you.
Experience
Experience in the area: We are all board certified family doctors who have special training in early abortion and reproductive health. Dr. Joan Fleischman is the founder of Early Options (earlyabortionoptions.com) dedicated to making early abortion part of mainstream medical care.
Organizations:
National Abortion Federation
American Association of Family Physicians
Education/Credentials
Dr. Joan Fleischman, Founder
M.D., Harvard Medical School
M.P.A., John F. Kennedy School of Government
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