MCRH cares about you too.

If your partner or friend is facing a decision about an unexpected pregnancy, you are probably worried about her. You may be thinking about how the decision could affect you. As she considers parenthood, abortion, or adoption, you may be feeling scared, guilty, sad, shut out, or just plain confused. Even though you may be trying to be strong for her, your own feelings may be quite intense.

MCRH has specifically designed this page with you in mind. We want to answer questions you might have and offer you some resources for dealing with this decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can find more FAQs on our web site here and at the Men and Abortion resource below. Of course, you can always feel free to contact us, and we'll be glad to help you.

How does she decide which type of abortion to choose?

MCRH offers two types of abortion procedures, the abortion pill and the vacuum aspiration. Women have their choice of type of abortion before eight weeks. They can choose either the abortion pill or the vacuum type of procedure. All procedures after 8 weeks use the vacuum aspiration procedure.

Can I be with my partner during the procedure?

You are welcome to wait for her in the clinic's waiting room. For the comfort of other patients and the safety of our staff, we only allow patients and staff beyond the front waiting room. There will be a trained patient advocate with her during her procedure to offer her support through the process.

Will she be in a lot of pain during the abortion itself?

Most women do have cramps during the procedure, and sometimes they can get bad, but most abortions take only five minutes and the cramps do begin to go away shortly afterwards. We offer a a local anesthetic that numbs the cervix and 800mg of ibuprofen before the procedure to help with cramping.

Afterwards, how will I know if she is OK or not?

We send each patient home with a list of instructions as well as how to get in touch with them should you have any questions or concerns. We also give each patient a 24/7 telephone number where they can reach a medical professional if they have concerns or complication. You can expect that she will feel quite well physically, but she may have cramps that are easily treated by ibuprofen.

How do we know what method of birth control is best?

Our patient educators and medical practitioners work with each patient to determine which type of birth control will best meet her needs. We will send her home with a starter pack of her chosen birth control, if available.

When can we resume having sex?

It is very important for your partner not to have sex until she has had a follow-up appointment with us or her own medical practitioner, about two weeks after her procedure. Also, using condoms may be necessary to prevent pregnancy until the chosen method of birth control is fully functioning, which could mean a bit more than two weeks.

How can I be of most help afterwards?

The first thing you can do to be helpful is to read the instruction sheet carefully as soon as you get home. Also, you can help by being sure she has ibuprofen, maxi pads, and a heating pad at home. Extras include a ThermaCare heat patch, DVD’s, and warm fluids. She will feel reassured to know that you care. Also, your involvement in the selection and consistent use of an effective birth control method is one of the most helpful and support thing you can do for your partner.

Resources

Men and Abortion

Men who accompany women for an abortion or who just want to be helpful usually do not know where to turn to get clear, unbiased information. In order to help to provide some of this information, we have divided questions that are frequently asked at abortion clinics into three categories: the factual, the emotional and the spiritual.

Exhale

Exhale serves women who have had abortions and their partners.  They respect the cultural, social, and religious beliefs of all callers.

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

The religious voice for reproductive choice through the moral power of religious communities.