Miscarriage and Abortion

The UCSF Women's Options Center provides abortion care and family planning services in a private, comfortable and sensitive environment. We provide care for women seeking elective abortion, treatment for miscarriage or fetal death, and pregnancy termination due to health problems of the fetus or mother.

Services include:

• First trimester uterine aspiration for elective abortion or miscarriage or termination due to fetal anomalies
• First trimester medical abortion or medication management of miscarriage
• Second trimester surgical abortion for elective abortion, fetal death or fetal anomalies, and maternal health conditions

We are dedicated to protecting your privacy. Your personal, medical and billing information will not be shared with anyone — including your family and referring doctor — without your signed consent. All UCSF doctors, nurses, other staff, students, trainees and volunteers abide by strict federal and state privacy and security regulations.

Our center is an integrated service of the UCSF Women's Health Center and our patients are not separately identified.

Elective Abortion

Before making an appointment for an elective abortion, please confirm your pregnancy with an over-the-counter home pregnancy test, which you can buy at a pharmacy or supermarket. If you need help making decisions regarding your pregnancy, please see information in Other Resources.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage can be a very difficult and sad experience. We provide several treatment options and support services, depending on your circumstance:

• Treatment or close monitoring of an incomplete miscarriage
• Medical management or medication to help complete a miscarriage
• First trimester uterine aspiration

Fetal Abnormalities or Maternal Health

Terminating a pregnancy due to fetal abnormalities or maternal health conditions can be extremely difficult. We provide the following services in a supportive environment:

• First trimester uterine aspiration
• Second trimester surgical abortion

Experts at the UCSF Prenatal Diagnosis Center specialize in high-risk pregnancy and fetal anomalies. For genetic counseling and testing, please contact the center.

Contraception

We can help you find the most appropriate contraceptive method, based on your health and family planning wishes. We provide:

• Condoms
• Diaphragms and cervical caps
• Emergency contraception
• Intrauterine contraception or IUC, also referred to as IUD, including the non-hormonal ParaGard and Mirena that releases the hormone progestin
• Natural family planning
• Prescriptions for oral contraceptives including combined hormonal and progestin-only, birth control patch and a contraceptive vaginal ring called Nuva Ring
• Progestin injection called Depo-Provera
• Subdermal progestin implant called Implanon

Emergency contraception (EC) is safe and effective in preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex or when birth control fails. EC pills temporarily stop the release of an egg from a woman's ovary and may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. Ideally, EC should be taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex, though it is still effective within 72 hours of intercourse. The sooner the pills are taken, the more effective. EC is not effective if you're already pregnant.

EC is available without a prescription at pharmacies, unless you're under 18 years old. If you need a prescription, call the Women's Options Center.

For help finding a doctor, contact our Physician Referral Service:

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated December 9, 2008