Why the ultrasound comes first

Why the scan comes before anything else

When a woman decides to end a pregnancy, it is natural to want the whole thing over quickly and quietly. So people sometimes ask why we insist on a scan first, rather than simply starting treatment. The honest answer is that the ultrasound is not a hurdle placed in your way; it is the single step that makes everything after it safe. A termination is a medical treatment, and like any careful treatment it begins with understanding your situation exactly, rather than guessing at it. The scan is quick, it is done here on the day, and it answers a few questions that genuinely cannot be answered from a distance. Every one of those answers is about protecting you.

First, it confirms the pregnancy is real, and where it is

A home test that shows two lines tells you only that a pregnancy hormone is present; it cannot tell you the whole story. The scan confirms that there truly is a pregnancy, and it shows how far along it is. This matters, because the right kind of care depends entirely on it, and no honest advice about your options is possible until it is known. Just as importantly, the scan shows where the pregnancy is sitting. In the great majority of cases it is exactly where it should be, inside the womb, and that is reassuring to see. But not always — and that is where the next point comes in.

Ruling out an ectopic pregnancy

Sometimes a pregnancy settles and begins to grow outside the womb, most often in a fallopian tube. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. It is not a normal pregnancy that can be ended in the usual way; it is a serious medical emergency, and it needs completely different, urgent treatment. The abortion medicines do nothing for it — taking them would only waste precious time while a dangerous situation quietly worsens. An ectopic pregnancy often gives very few warning signs early on, and there is no way to feel it or guess it from the outside. It can only be found on a scan. This, more than anything, is why the ultrasound is done first, every single time, without exception. To give a woman termination medicines without first ruling this out would be to put her life at risk.

The scan guides the safe, right care for you

Once we can see the pregnancy clearly, the scan together with a proper examination guides what happens next. Broadly, safe abortion care follows one of two paths: a medicine route or a short procedure route. Which one is right and safe for you is a medical decision, made together with you after you have been seen — never something that can be settled over a phone line or posted to you in advance. The assessment also picks up anything particular to your own health that would change what is safe for you. So rather than asking how many weeks along you think you are, we simply ask you to come in and be assessed properly. It takes very little time, and it means the care you receive is chosen for you, and not for a stranger.

Why this makes pills-by-post so dangerous

Understanding what the scan is for also explains, in one stroke, why buying abortion tablets online or having them sent by post is genuinely unsafe. Ordering pills to your door skips every one of the checks above. Without a scan, you cannot know how far along you are, and — far more seriously — you cannot know whether the pregnancy is growing safely inside the womb or dangerously outside it. Without an examination, you cannot know whether the medicine route is safe for your body at all. And without a hospital behind you, there is nobody watching for the warning signs and nobody to turn to quickly if something goes wrong. The tablets on their own are not what makes a termination safe; the visit, the scan and the care around them are. That is why, here, treatment is only ever given in person — there is no sending of medicines by courier, and no abortion arranged by phone.

A scan for your safety, and nothing else

We want to be plain about one more thing, because people sometimes wonder. The ultrasound before an abortion is done purely for your safety and to guide your care. We never use it to determine the sex of a pregnancy; that is unlawful in India, and it is simply not something we do. You can read how we provide this care openly and lawfully on our abortion services page.

You are welcome here, and your visit stays private

Many of the women who come to us are unmarried, and we want to say this clearly: it changes nothing. Choosing to end a pregnancy is lawful in India, and we provide it lawfully at a government-licensed facility — you can read what the law allows on our MTP Act page. You do not need anyone else's permission to come, and you will be met with the same warmth and respect as anyone else. What you tell us, and the care you receive, stay confidential. This guide is written by Dr Mayur Pai, MBBS, MS (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), and Pai Hospital in Goa has its own theatre and its own scanning facilities, so your consultation, your scan and your care all happen in one trusted place.

Getting started

If any of this is on your mind, the kindest thing you can do for yourself is to reach out early. Call or message us and tell us your situation, in as much or as little detail as you like. An online consultation can tell you whether treatment is feasible and guide your very next step — but please remember that to receive any care you must come to the hospital in Goa in person, because the scan, the examination and the treatment itself can only be done here. Nothing is decided or booked simply by asking. This article is for education only and is not personal medical advice; please consult your doctor about your own situation.

Or call +91 75582 52088 · 0832 251 3641

This page is for general education and is not personal medical advice. Treatment depends on your own examination and reports, so please speak to a doctor about your situation. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind.