Ultrasounds | Options Clinic

If you’ve received a positive pregnancy test, your next step is to get an ultrasound. This will reveal important information about your pregnancy that will help determine the next steps you take. We offer no cost and confidential ultrasounds and offer options counseling afterwards so you can be fully-informed on all of your options.

Why you need an ultrasound

Regardless of what you’re thinking you may do with your pregnancy, an ultrasound is important. It reveals the gestational age of the fetus, shows the location of the pregnancy, and can let you know whether the pregnancy is viable or not. According to House Bill 15, 82-R the state of Texas requires an ultrasound 24 hours in advance of abortion procedures. Call/Text us to schedule an appointment. *Ultrasounds are performed or scheduled based on your eligibility as evaluated by our medical care team.

Gestational Age

Knowing the age or how far along you are in the pregnancy is important, especially if you’re considering an abortion because it determines the type of abortion procedure you can receive. If you are less than 10 weeks into the pregnancy, you can have a medication abortion via the abortion pill. For pregnancies 10 weeks or farther along, a surgical abortion is required. If you aren’t considering abortion, the gestational age is still important to help set your due date.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Where the pregnancy is located matters, too. Though rare, sometimes pregnancies implant somewhere other than the uterus, most often in the Fallopian tube. This tubal, or ectopic, pregnancy is nonviable and can pose serious threats to your health. Ectopic pregnancies require immediate medical attention and a normal abortion procedure will not address this serious issue. If the ultrasound reveals a pregnancy implanted outside of the uterus, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Viability

On average, one out of four pregnancies end in miscarriage. Eighty-five percent of miscarriages happen in the first trimester, and many women have only just found out they’re pregnant and miscarry shortly after. An ultrasound reveals whether the pregnancy is viable or not. If it’s nonviable (if your body is naturally miscarrying), then this is important information for you to know.