Teen Pregnancy Termination

If you decided to terminate the pregnancy, there are some things you should know. Keep in mind that you can change your mind at any stage until the beginning of the medical procedure.

Induced abortion is a procedure that leads to the termination of the pregnancy.

Before terminating the pregnancy, there are several stages and aspects to take into consideration:

The Pregnancy Termination Board

An initiated termination of pregnancy (abortion) is a medical procedure since it causes the end of a pregnancy. There are several ways to terminate a pregnancy, but before proceeding, it is important to handle the bureaucratic matters.

Under Israeli law, an abortion is carried out only after receiving approval from one of the pregnancy termination boards that convene in hospitals or surgical clinics in the community.
The staff on the pregnancy termination boards, which currently consists mainly of professional women, includes 3 people: 2 physicians and a social worker.

To schedule an appointment with the Pregnancy Termination Board, you must contact one of the boards on the Ministry of Health's list (Hebrew) and submit an application to terminate a pregnancy.

Teenagers under the age of 18 are entitled to priority in the Board appointments and to priority in the termination of pregnancy procedure.

When you arrive at the meeting, make sure that you do not forget to bring an ID with you as well as the medical documents about your pregnancy: the results of the medical test that confirm your pregnancy and an ultrasound that documents the age of the pregnancy.

The Board approves applications to terminate pregnancy when one of the following conditions are met:

• You are under the age of 18.
• You are unmarried.
• The pregnancy is the result of relationships prohibited under the law such as rape or incest.
• The infant may be born with a defect (according to professional opinion).
• Continuation of the pregnancy may endanger your life or cause you emotional or physical harm.

When you arrive at the hospital or clinic where the Pregnancy Termination Board convenes, you will first meet with the Board's social worker. During this conversation, you will receive an explanation and guidance on what you can expect. You will be able to ask questions and share your difficulties as well as doubts regarding the decision to continue the pregnancy.

The social worker will then accompany you to the Board, where you will meet a physician who specializes in abortions. The physician will discuss the various methods for terminating a pregnancy with you as well as address your concerns about possible complications.
The Board will discuss your application to terminate the pregnancy. As we have already mentioned, if you are under the age of 18, the Board will approve your request to terminate the pregnancy. At this stage, you will be asked to sign a consent form and you will be scheduled for another appointment for performance of the procedure at the hospital.

Maintaining discretion

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is first and foremost yours, and throughout the process you will receive accompaniment and support from the hospital medical staff. Physicians, nurses or social workers are obligated by law to maintain the confidentiality of your information and to not disclose information about the pregnancy and its termination without your consent.

The only reason the staff is obligated to disclose information to another professional without your consent is to protect you from harm or abuse by a relative or your legal guardian (if you are not yet 18), in which case the staff is required to inform you of this.

Pregnancy termination methods

There are several methods for terminating a pregnancy and they are chosen by the medical staff depending on the age of the pregnancy (the week of pregnancy) and the state of your health:

• Until week 9 of pregnancy: The pregnancy is terminated with medications and involves treatment in two stages, in each of which a different medication is administered. The medications are Mifegyne and Cytotec. The combined action of the two medications causes a termination of pregnancy and uterine evacuation.
• Between week 12 and week 24 of pregnancy: pregnancy may be terminated by a medical abortion (inducing labor) or by surgical abortion under general anesthesia. The way the procedure is performed depends on gestational age and other medical considerations. At this stage since the abortion is more complicated and carries more risks, it will only be performed in hospitals and not as part of the community treatment provided by the HMO.
• From week 24 and after (“viable stage”): during this advanced stage of pregnancy, special approval must be obtained to terminate the pregnancy during the ‘viable stage’. Termination of a pregnancy is only possible in a hospital authorized to perform the procedure. In the first stage, an agent will be injected to stop fetal development, and in the second stage, procedures will be carried out that will induce childbirth. After the birth, according to your wish, an autopsy may be performed on the fetus, including genetic tests (information that can help you in subsequent pregnancies).

Your rights

Until the age of 19, you are entitled to receive full funding for termination of pregnancy from your HMO, including visits to a doctor or gynecologist related to pregnancy testing and termination of pregnancy, blood tests, ultrasound examination and commitment forms for the board and the procedure for terminating the pregnancy. You can contact any medical institution authorized to perform the procedure, of your choosing and funded by the HMO, even outside the selection areas of the HMO.

If you are under the age of 18 and not an Israeli citizen (and therefore not insured by an HMO), you can go to one of the public hospitals in Israel and have a termination of pregnancy funded by the Ministry of Health.

Medical repercussions

Termination of pregnancy under medical supervision is a safe procedure that is usually not accompanied by side effects or complications. In most cases, the procedure will not affect your ability to become pregnant in the future. At the same time, as with any surgery or any pregnancy and birth, there may be physical complications, about which you will receive information from the medical staff. Once the current pregnancy has been terminated, it is important to prevent another unwanted pregnancy to the extent possible.

Treatment and monitoring following discharge

After the pregnancy has been terminated and before being discharged from the hospital, you will receive some recommendations from the professional staff:

• Instruction on antibiotic treatment following the termination of pregnancy.
• An explanation of what is normal to feel in the days following the termination of pregnancy.
• Instructions on where to go in case you are experiencing pain or severe bleeding and high fever.
• Recommendations on who to contact to adjust birth control.
• Information about the medical monitoring required approximately two weeks after the termination of pregnancy.
• Details of relevant professionals who you can speak with if you are experiencing emotional distress.
• Instructions on resumption of sexual intercourse.