Pregnancy Testing
Urine pregnancy testing is available by appointment or walk-in. SHS does not dispense pregnancy tests for home use. Pregnancy testing is recommended for individuals who have a late or absent menstrual period, and/or who have pregnancy symptoms. Pregnancy tests typically take at least 10-14 days to show positive after the date of conception. Therefore, we recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after the episode of unprotected sex before testing.
Pregnancy Options Counseling
Options counseling is intended for individuals who are pregnant and would like to discuss their options to either continue the pregnancy, terminate the pregnancy, or seek adoption services.
More information about pregnancy options can be found here.
The following are a few options for those seeking additional counseling or support regarding their pregnancy choices:
Medication Abortion
Medication abortion, or the “abortion pill,” is an option for pregnancy termination which uses two medications – mifepristone and misoprostol – to stop the growth and cause the expulsion of a pregnancy in the uterus. SHS currently offers medication abortion for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks of gestation.
During your visit, you can expect to have a pelvic ultrasound and blood testing to determine if you are a candidate to safely receive the abortion pill. You will also need to follow up 1 to 2 weeks after taking the abortion pill to determine if the abortion was complete. If you are not a candidate to receive the abortion pill at SHS, we can offer you a referral to another facility for procedural abortion options.
Click here or here for a side-by-side comparison of medication and procedural abortion options.
For a glimpse of what the process of having an abortion is like, check out these illustrated stories:
A calculator to estimate gestational age (how far along the pregnancy is) can be found here.
Preconception Counseling
Preconception counseling is intended for individuals who are seeking pregnancy and want to ensure they are healthy and prepared before becoming pregnant.
More information about pre-conception care can be found here.
