Our Services....

THE FIRST VISIT:  COUNSELING

The state of Louisiana has an "informed consent" law that requires women to receive literature and counseling 24 hours prior to having an abortion.  When you come to the clinic for the counseling session, we will test your blood for the Rh factor and perform an ultrasound.  The Rh testing is done to protect your future fertility, and the ultrasound will tell us how long you have been pregnant.  The ultrasound also confirms that your pregnancy is not tubal or ectopic, so that an abortion can be safely performed.  The fee for these tests is due that day, and will be deducted from the cost of the procedure.

If the ultrasound indicates that you are more than 13 weeks pregnant, a two-day abortion procedure is necessary.

THE SECOND VISIT:  THE PROCEDURE

If you are less than 13 weeks pregnant, you can return to the clinic as early as the next day for the procedure.  We generally have appointments available three days a week.  Please call for each week's schedule. 

The first trimester abortion procedure we use is called vacuum aspiration, or dilation and curettage (d&c).

Sedatives

For patients who are anxious about the procedure, we offer two separate sedative options.  The first is meant to control anxiety.  Women who receive this sedative usually remain conscious during the procedure, but feel relaxed and drowsy.           

We call the stronger sedative "Twilight Sleep", and women who receive this sedative usually fall asleep either before or during the procedure and do not remember it afterwards.

TWO DAY PROCEDURES

The abortion procedure we use for women who are more than 13 weeks pregnant is called dilation and evacuation (d&e) and takes two days to complete.  After a woman has been counseled, she returns to the clinic on the second visit to have laminaria inserted into her cervix.  Laminaria are small dried sticks of sterile seaweed which absorb moisture and expand overnight, gently opening the cervix.  Women generally experience moderate to heavy cramping for a few hours after laminaria are inserted.  On the second day of the procedure, or the third clinic visit, the woman returns and has her pregnancy removed with forceps and suction.  Every woman who undergoes a second-trimester abortion procedure will receive Twilight Sleep sedation. 

NON-SURGICAL METHODS 

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

("the morning after pill")

By starting PREVEN™ emergency contraceptive pills within 72 hours after unprotected sex, you can help lower your risk of getting pregnant.  PREVEN™ is most effective within the first 24 hours.  It prevents pregnancy in the same way birth control pills prevent pregnancy because it is a special dose of birth control pills.  No birth control method works all the time, but PREVEN™ has been shown to reduce the risk of pregnancy by 75%.  After determining that you are not pregnant, you will receive a kit with four pills.  Take the first two pills as soon after unprotected sex as you can, at least within 72 hours.  Take the second two pills 12 hours later.  That's all.  PREVEN™ is available by prescription only.  Side effects are usually mild, but the most common include nausea and vomiting.  For more information, visit www.PREVEN.com or call 1-888-PREVEN2.

 THE EARLY OPTION PILL (RU-486)