Mile High Women’s Clinic is a full-service abortion clinic, staffed by board-certified gynecologists, some of whom have been working in the field for nearly 40 years. The staff includes both male and female physicians, all of whom are committed to the comfort and respect of every patient. They’re here to help you with anything, from delivery to menopause to surgical or medical abortions. There are no legal restrictions limiting abortion services in Colorado, so Mile High doesn’t only treat locals; they often provide care for patients traveling from states with restrictions.
Mile High offers in-office abortions for patients up to 16-weeks gestation. After that, the procedure would be relocated to a hospital setting. Your physician from Mile High can accompany you and care for you there, at your request. If you’re looking to schedule an appointment for an abortion, or to hear more information on the process, the team at Mile High treats these requests as emergency appointments. Your appointment will be schedule within 48 hours.
Patients at less than 10-weeks gestation will be able to choose between a medical abortion (the “Abortion Pill”) or a surgical abortion. The medical abortion involves little more than a pill taken at home. A post-op visit will be scheduled for two weeks after, consisting of an ultrasound and a brief exam. For patients over 10-weeks gestation, or for those who would prefer surgical abortion, that procedure involves an hour-long appointment, scheduled at your earliest convenience.
On the day of your procedure, you’re asked to prepare by not having anything to eat or drink before coming in. You’ll also need a ride home, so it’s important to set that up beforehand as well. All told, you should be in and out within an hour.
If you’d like to bring a significant other along, or a support person, Mile High allows them to be in the room with you during the procedure, should you so choose.
The office is a private medical office, so you’ll experience no protesters on the way in.
You’ll come in within 48 hours of your initial call. You’ll check in, fill out the paperwork, and then the nurse will bring you back to your physician. Your doctor will then go over the procedure with you in detail. After that, your physician will write two prescriptions: one for pain and one antibiotics. You’ll then be brought back to the procedure room and given IV medications for sedation. It’s a conscious sedation, so you’ll be awake for the procedure. Mile High allows for significant others to be in the room for support, should so choose. After sedation, the procedure itself lasts about five minutes. The doctor uses a method called vacuum aspiration, meaning a small tube is inserted into the uterus, and aspiration (suction) is used to empty the contents of the uterus.
Following the procedure, you’ll have ten minutes to recover in the office. You can then return home. You’ll be able to eat and drink as you normally would, and by the end of the day you should be fully recovered from the procedure.
RH-negative refers to a specific blood type/condition that can be harmful to a fetus during pregnancy.
To be RH-positive means a protein (D antigen) is found on the surface of your red blood cells. RH-negative refers to the absence of that protein. While most people are RH-positive (with only 15% of people being RH-negative), it is important to understand your Rhesus (RH) factor. If a mother is RH-negative, but the fetus is positive, the mother’s antibodies will attack the fetus.
Many women discover they are Rh-negative during a pregnancy that needs to be terminated. Before your procedure, the Mile High team provides a blood test at no extra cost, the results of which will reveal your Rhesus factor.
If you are Rh-negative, the team at Mile High will provide an injection of Rhogam for an extra $60 to help protect your future pregnancies. This injection coats the fetus’s cells so the mother’s body can’t recognize them, and won’t hurt them.
Mile High offers in-house counseling from your physician. Before treatment, they’re available to talk you through the available options, and help you decide what’s best for you. Their goal is always to educate and empower you to make your own choice, never to push any particular course of treatment. They’re a full-service OB-GYN and can help you with any decision you make.
Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. We have a Freedom Fund to help self-paying patients afford care when they need it most. Generally, we can give patients who need it $125 toward the cost of their procedure. Contact our staff with any questions and to see if you qualify.
The National Abortion Federation hotline is available for any questions including financial assistance, weekdays: 7:00 A.M.-11:00 P.M., Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00 A.M.- 5:00 P.M EST. Call toll-free 1-800-772-9100
There are no legal restrictions on abortion services in the state of Colorado. The team at Mile High Women’s Clinic has been providing safe, affordable abortion services for decades. This includes patients who might need to travel from out of state, where these services are more restricted.
Mile High Women’s Clinic offers both medical and surgical abortions, depending on the length of gestation. Medical abortions (in the form of a pill) are available for up to 10-weeks gestation. After that, an in-office surgical abortion would need to be done. The name “surgical” can be misleading, as the procedure is minimally-invasive and takes only a few minutes. It’s a low-pain procedure and the patient will not be put under.
After 16-weeks, the procedure will need to be done in a hospital setting. It’s an equally routine procedure, and your OB-GYN from Mile High will still be the one providing your care. The new location is purely a precaution.
Patients under 18 will need parental consent. However, if you have questions or need legal advice, Mile High will refer you to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has access to pro-bono attorneys who can help you with any legal questions you might have.
Both medical and surgical abortions are very safe procedures that have been perfected over the past 30 years. Abortion is actually considered one of the safest surgical procedures of them all, when performed by a skilled physician. The doctors at Mile High Women’s Clinic have more than 30 years of experience providing safe abortions to patients in a private, comfortable office setting. The goal of every doctor at Mile High is to provide the best possible medical care and to protect your future fertility. Complications from abortions are very rare, in general, and the complication rate for abortions at Mile High is even lower than their colonoscopies. Potential risks are discussed below, and can be discussed in more detail with your physician, at your request.
Medical abortions (or, “the Abortion Pill”) are an extremely safe method of ending a pregnancy. As far as side effects go, you can expect to have some or all of the following symptoms: nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, heavy bleeding, and strong cramping. Usually these symptoms go away after one to two days, but some women experience bleeding for one to two weeks. For this reason, it’s important to be honest about what you can handle. The physicians at Mile High talk with each woman individually to provide realistic and accurate information, so every woman can decide for herself.
Typically, women who make informed decisions and choose the medical abortion are very happy with their choice. They report feeling that it was less invasive and more natural than a surgical abortion.
Like medical abortions, surgical abortions are an extremely safe and effective method of ending pregnancy. In fact, in the medical community, abortions are considered the safest procedure when performed by a skilled physician, like those at Mile High. Side effects are rarely seen, with 1% of patients reporting them. However, they could include infection, bleeding, or uterine perforation. Hospitalization for these symptoms is extremely rare.
The most important preparation beforehand is being honest with yourself. Every woman is different in her expectations, needs, and tolerance levels. The best thing to do is review all the information thoroughly, discuss your options with the team at Mile High, and make an honest decision based on your needs and goals. If you’re unable to handle cramps or heavy bleeding, a medical abortion might not be for you. Or if you have a phobia of needles or medical instruments, a surgical abortion might not be the best way to go. It all depends on you and what you’re comfortable with. Your physician at Mile High can help you understand all the available options, so you can make your decision with confidence and clarity.
If you have a surgical abortion, it’s important not to eat or drink anything six hours prior to your appointment. You’ll want to shower and bathe as usual, and wear comfortable clothing.
Abortions are an extremely safe and effective procedure. It’s very unlikely for them not to work. If you’re concerned about the efficacy of your abortion, a post-up ultrasound can be done to confirm.
An abortion should not impact your ability to have children in the future. More than 99% of women will not have any problem getting pregnant in the future, after an abortion. In a very small number of cases (less than 1%), some women can be prone to an infection that might interfere with future fertility. The physicians at Mile High are your best resource for understanding the risks of both medical and surgical abortions. There is a lot of misinformation out there, especially online, so the best way to learn about real statistics and the likelihood of any problems is talk directly with your doctor.