Other Services
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception, more commonly known as the “morning after pill,” is a contraceptive or birth control method that can prevent pregnancy immediately after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure, but before pregnancy begins. Reasons for unprotected sex and contraceptive failure vary greatly, but some situations include sexual assault or rape, the condom breaking, or not having access to a contraceptive method during the time of intercourse. Emergency contraception is intended for emergency situations, and not as a regular method of birth control.
Emergency contraception (EC) prevents pregnancy by delaying ovulation, inhibiting fertilization and/or preventing implantation. Emergency contraception will not interrupt an established pregnancy and does not function as “abortion pill.” Emergency contraception will not be effective if taken after a woman is already pregnant.
Emergency contraception should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse and can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89%. Some clinical trials have shown that efficacy (how well it works) was greatest when emergency contraception was taken within 24 hours of unprotected intercourse, decreasing somewhat during each subsequent 24-hour period. However, in some areas, emergency contraception may be available as many as 5 days after unprotected sex. Emergency contraception is available over the counter to women 18 and older. Women under 18 can obtain EC with a prescription.
Atlanta Women’s Medical Center generally offers EC every day of the week except Sunday. EC is given by appointment only, so patients should call ahead to check availability and schedule an appointment.
Pregnancy Testing
Atlanta Women’s Medical Center requires that all patients have taken a positive pregnancy test prior to scheduling an appointment, and offers free walk-in pregnancy testing during regular office hours (usually 8am-5pm). Results are available quickly, and a counselor will speak with each woman about her results. While an appointment is not required, patients are encouraged to call ahead to determine the best time to come in. For patients with positive test results, an appointment for an abortion can usually be scheduled within a few days.
Options Counseling and Post-Abortion Counseling
Because we understand that the decision to terminate a pregnancy can be a difficult one for many women to make, we offer pre and post abortion counseling to women who request it.
Options counseling allows women to come in and speak with one of our skilled counselors about her feelings regarding her pregnancy and her options in dealing with the pregnancy including abortion, adoption and parenthood. These sessions are designed to give the patient the resources to come to her own decision without pressure from family, partner or friends.
Post-abortion counseling is offered to our patients who feel that they need or want someone to talk to about their feelings after having a procedure at our facility. You can request counseling on the day of your procedure or you can call later to request counseling if you feel you need it.
Ultrasound for Gestational Sizing
Women who wish to have an ultrasound, but are not necessarily planning to terminate the pregnancy, can schedule an appointment with Atlanta Women’s Medical Center on any of our procedure days. The office offers ultrasound services that are fast, convenient, and will be able to determine exactly how far a patient is in her pregnancy (the result will be accurate to within a few days). This information may help a woman in a variety of ways, whether she chooses to continue with her pregnancy or not. Ultrasounds will be done for a fee that will be applied to the cost of an abortion for any woman who chooses to terminate the pregnancy. While AWMC’s ultrasound scan will not be able to detect sex, or any fetal problems or abnormalities, our staff will be happy to answer any questions that a patient might have about her ultrasound result, and will be happy to offer a referral for additional testing when necessary.
Pap smears and Well Woman examinations
The Pap Smear is a way to examine cells collected from the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens into the vagina (birth canal).
The main purpose of the Pap test is to find abnormal cell changes that may arise from cervical cancer or before cancer develops.
This service is available to abortion patients on the day of their procedures. Prior to your procedure, you will meet privately with a registered nurse (RN) who will discuss your testing options to determine if testing is appropriate for you. If you would like to schedule a Pap test or Well Woman visit, and are not scheduled for abortion care services, please contact the Center for availability.
STD testing and treatment for Chlamydia and gonorrhea
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which can damage a woman's reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem.
Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. CDC estimates that more than 700,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year. Only about half of these infections are reported to CDC. In 2002, 351,852 cases of gonorrhea were reported to CDC. In the period from 1975 to 1997, the national gonorrhea rate declined, following the implementation of the national gonorrhea control program in the mid-1970s. After a small increase in 1998, the gonorrhea rate has decreased slightly since 1999. In 2002, the rate of reported gonorrheal infections was 125.0 per 100,000 persons.
Several laboratory tests are available to diagnose Chlamydia and gonorrhea. A doctor or nurse can obtain a sample for testing from the parts of the body likely to be infected (cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat) and send the sample to a laboratory for analysis. At AWMC we obtain a sample from the cervix prior to your surgery in a manner that is similar to a pap-smear.
This service is available to abortion patients on the day of their procedures. Prior to your procedure, you will meet privately with a registered nurse Practitioner who will discuss your testing options to determine if testing is appropriate for you. If you would like to schedule for this service and are not scheduled for abortion care, please contact the Center for appointment information
For more information on services at Atlanta Women’s Medical Center, or to schedule an appointment, please call the office at 404.257.0057 or 1.800.877.6332.
