Call Helpline: 913.962.0200

Month: January 2024

Things You Should Know Before Taking the Abortion Pill

Posted on

At-home abortion. Self-managed abortion.  These statements make it sound easy, safe. Who wouldn’t want to be in the privacy of their own home instead of a sterile clinic? However, as with any abortion, the abortion pill has risks and side effects that you should be aware of before making a decision to end your pregnancy at home.  

Before taking the abortion pill: 

It is vital before taking the abortion pill to see a licensed medical professional.  This visit should include a complete medical history, screening for complications, and an ultrasound to check age and viability of the baby. Your doctor should be concerned about your physical safety as well as your emotional well-being.  

Visit this website for a complete checklist of what to consider before having an abortion.  

Side effects: 

Abortion providers will tell you that you may experience tiredness and cramping along with some spotting or bleeding like during your period, but can return to normal activities after a day or so.1   While this is true, it is a downplay of the true effects of the abortion pill.  Bleeding may last up to 2 weeks with spotting lasting up to a month. The average medical abortion patient complained of pain greater than 6 on a scale of 1 to 11, with 2 out of 10 complaining of pain at a 10.2   This is not like your “average” period. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and fever.   

Safety: 

Not only can you have an at-home abortion, but now you can even buy the abortion pill on the internet.  Please do not pick convenience and cost over your health safety.  According to the FDA, buying the abortion pill over the internet bypasses important safeguards designed to protect your health.3   The FDA has also labeled this drug with a black box warning which is their highest level of caution given to a medication.   

Despite the convenience of the at-home abortion, it is important to remember that it is still a medical procedure with risks and side effects.  If you don’t have a healthcare provider that is truly concerned with caring for your health, please reach out to us. 

We want to love and protect you physically and emotionally through this time in your life, no matter what you decide. 

1 What Can I Expect After Taking the Abortion Pill
2 Pain Relief During Medical Abortion
3 Mifepristone Information

This article was written by a practicing nurse, and reviewed by a doctor for clarity and accuracy. We want you to have the best medical advice and expertise available as you look at your choices.

You need to take control of your health and your choices, and doing that means you need all of the facts available before making a decision.

We suggest you talk over all of your options with someone who is knowledgeable, in a non-judgmental atmosphere. That’s why we are here – to give you all of your options and information that put you in complete control of your health decisions.

And no matter what choice you make, we will be here for you. You won’t find that anywhere else!

Book An Appointment

Pregnancy Resource Centers: The Real Myths & Facts

Posted on

There are many myths and facts surrounding what a pregnancy resource center like Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) does – or doesn’t do. The best way to understand our call and what we do every day is to confront these facts head-on, with straight-forward answers.

Myth:  Pregnancy resource centers are only interested in “saving the baby”.

Fact:    At Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) we are very pro-woman.  One of our main reasons to work with each mother is to help her look at all of her options so she is empowered to make a choice she can live with.  We know that all three options (parenting, adoption, and abortion) carry with them long-term consequences.  Our client has a decision to make, and we endeavor to assure that she has complete information to make that decision.


Myth:  Once the mother’s decision is made, pregnancy help centers abandon her.

Fact:    Regardless of the option that an expecting woman makes, Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) has follow-through programs for her.

* For the woman who chooses to parent, we offer education, support, and material aid throughout her pregnancy and for two years following the birth of her child.

* If a woman chooses to make an adoption plan for her child, we offer her referrals to adoption agencies. In addition, we are available to assist her through the duration of the pregnancy and help her make the adjustments needed after her baby is placed.

* If a client chooses to abort, she leaves our clinic knowing that she is always welcome to return for abortion recovery, future pregnancy, or STI/STD services. We also offer a Post-Abortion Assessment, dealing with both the physical and the emotional aftermath of abortion.

Read About Our Post-Abortion Assestment


Myth:  Crisis pregnancy centers are fake health clinics.

Fact:    Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) is dedicated to offering quality medical services in compliance with all medical regulations and best practices.

* All medical service policies and procedures are reviewed and approved by our Medical Advisory Group (MAG). The MAG is currently made up of 12 medical doctors in specialties including OB/Gyn., Radiology, Emergency Medicine and Family Practice.  In addition, the MAG includes five registered nurses and two sonographers along with our client services management staff.

* Every medical test, procedure, or treatment is approved by our Medical Director, a Johnson County OB/Gyn., and he reviews every medical chart. We also have a Medical Advisory Group that oversees all of our services; comprised of 16 practicing doctors, nurses, and medical providers in the KC area.

* The day-to-day oversight of our medical services is under the watchful eye of our Nurse Manager an R.N., B.S.N. who has spent her career working in the women’s reproductive health field.

* Every volunteer sonographer is either a practicing registered diagnostic medical sonographer or has been fully trained in Limited Obstetric Ultrasound including 75 scans supervised by a qualified medical professional.

* We have volunteer nurses trained in specialties like OB/Gyn., Labor & Delivery, NICU, Child-Birth Education, Home Health, Hospice, and Telemetry.


Myth:  Pro-Life women’s centers use high-pressure tactics along with shame and lies to emotionally blind-side their clients.

Fact:    Tools like shame, lies, fear, and manipulation have no place here.  At Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid), we know that the way to empower women is with truth wrapped in grace, encouragement, hope, and practical help all offered with compassion.  Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) is a place where we listen; offer options grounded in evidence-based medical information; listen some more; offer medical services, referrals, and material aid; and then listen some more.

Important to note:
We very often have women who have been here, and then choose to go elsewhere for an abortion. On many occasions, they have returned to us after their abortion for post-abortion care. They would not do that if we had pressured them or lied to them!

Get the facts on abortion


Myth:  The people on the sidewalk outside of abortion facilities are recruited and deployed by PRCs.

Fact:    People on the sidewalks outside of abortion facilities are there for many reasons and are there either on their own or representing a number of pro-life organizations.  Some have political motives (change the laws), others have compassionate motives (pray and rescue moms and babies), and some are trying to convince women through graphic signs and harsh messages that they are condemned if they commit this unforgivable sin.  Many use methods and messages that actually damage the reputations and efforts of pregnancy resource centers.

None of them are recruited by or represent Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic (formerly Advice & Aid Pregnancy Center).

You are in charge of your own health. It’s important that you get the answers you need without relying on someone else to tell you what they believe about the services that you are looking into.

Be in control . . . Research your options . . . Get the facts and not the myths!

You could start by simply talking to us. No judgment. No agenda. No pressure.
Just a friend to listen to your concerns and offer you support.

Book An Appointment

DANGER! Stop Asking the Internet When You Have an STD

Posted on

“I think I have a sexually transmitted infection, should I ask the internet, or my doctor?”

Feeling like you have an STI, a sexually transmitted infection (often referred to as an STD), can be a scary thing. Maybe you have a partner that you’re not sure has been faithful to you, or you’re feeling symptoms that have you concerned. It could be that you have just now become sexually active, and you find yourself in a new situation that you’re not sure how to handle. Maybe you get the gut-punch of a partner who tells you, “I have chlamydia, and you have to get treated too.” No matter how you find yourself worried about STI’s, it’s not something you should ignore.

A growing, serious problem that shouldn’t be ignored
Hopefully this article will provide some helpful counsel about understanding STI’s and the risks that go along with them. STI’s should be taken seriously. The challenge is that many sexually transmitted infections have no symptoms, or they are very mild. Also, many people feel embarrassed to go to a clinic or a doctor because they don’t want anyone to know. There are some people who know that they’re infected, but they don’t seek treatment because they don’t realize the risks of untreated infections.

Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), numbers of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are at an all-time high in the United States. 2017 was the 4th straight year in which STI’s are rising, and there’s no sign of the trend slowing down. The CDC went so far as to call it a public health crisis.  A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at users of the online platform Reddit who posted on their STI message board. Of all the users on this message board, 58% of them were asking other users to help diagnose their sexually transmitted infection, some going so far as to post pictures of their symptoms.

Why would somebody go to an online message board instead of a medical clinic?
It could be because getting an online opinion takes a fraction of the time that going to the doctor does.  It’s also free, unlike many clinics. Also, the shame related to the diagnosis of an STI keeps some people from seeing a doctor. They’d rather get an anonymous opinion online and try to handle it themselves.

Why that’s a really, really bad idea . . .
Here is the problem with getting an online opinion: they’re frequently wrong. A wrong diagnosis can cause someone to think they’re fine when they’re not, which can lead them to spreading a disease to unsuspecting partners or just going untreated themselves.

So why is that a big deal? Here are some risks related to the three most common STI’s:

Chlamydia: It’s a bacterial infection that can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). Long term, it can cause pelvic pain, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, and increased risk of infertility. In men, it can cause rare complications of testicular problems and sometimes infertility.

Gonorrhea: This infection is caused by bacteria that can infect the urethra, rectum, throat or cervix. If it’s not treated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and pregnancy complications. In men, it can cause epididymitis and can lead to infertility. Gonorrhea can also spread to joints and cause fever, rash, skin sores and swelling.

Syphilis: Syphilis is a bacterial infection that starts as a painless sore — typically on your genitals, rectum or mouth. Sometimes the sore can be hidden in the vagina or rectum and since it’s painless, it can go unnoticed. It resolves in 2-3 weeks and if not treated, the secondary stage begins. The secondary stage involves a rash that covers the body, even hands and feet, followed by aches, fever, and even hair loss. This phase can come and go as long as you’re infected. If still untreated, it can infect other organs of the body and even the brain. Syphilis can also be passed to a baby during birth.

What CAN you do? What SHOULD you do?
So, what should you do? If you’re worried about an STI, go get treatment! Online opinions are not a real answer. Only a medical test can tell you for sure if you have an infection or you don’t. Until you are treated, you are contagious and can spread the infection to your sexual partners. Treatment is either an antibiotic pill, or injection or both, depending on which STI you have. You should also be re-tested 3 months after treatment to make sure that it was effective.

If you (or someone you know) suspects that you might have contracted and STD, you should contact your doctor immediately for an appointment.

However, if you are not ready to talk to a doctor, it could be helpful to discuss your symptoms, concerns and options in a confidential and helpful setting with someone who has answers.

All you have to do is privately schedule an appointment to come in and speak with one of our many nurses. They can administer an STD test, and discuss results and next steps with you. They are knowledgeable, compassionate and can offer the support and direction you need.

Best of all, there is no charge whatsoever for the test, the appointment or the appointment.

You deserve to know. Take control of your own health!

Book An Appointment