please help me help a friend

This post could be triggering for some, so please read with care, hopefully I've posted it in the right forum, although it could probably fit into several.
Earlier tonight, an online friend confided in me that she was raped several times a few months ago, and as a result, she hasn't had a period for almost 5 months. She didn't do a pregnancy test, but is convinced she is pregnant because beside the absence of her period, she was having other 'symptoms', such as sore breasts and reacting to smells and things.

(please continue reading with care) She told me a couple of days ago, she tried to self terminate using a wire coat hanger, and has been bleeding heavily since. She refuses to seek medical attention because she is worried about the consequences of what she has done to herself.

She doesn't seem to care, all that she is concerned about is whether or not she may be pregnant.

I'm pretty clueless to all things pregnancy related, all i really know is how they get there and how they come out, so I'm feeling really helpless due to my lack of knowledge.

I want to help her, but i have absolutely no idea how. She said she hasn't told anyone else, and only felt comfortable telling me because I don't know where she lives exactly, so I really can't do anything about it.

I guess I really just need some information, maybe then I will know better how to help her.

I'm really concerned.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I would really appreciate any light anyone could shed on this for me. I hope I haven't upset anyone.

she could hemmorage and die from bleeding. back before roe v. wade happened thats how women died from abortions. they would use things like sewing needles, poke through and die from blood loss. and chances are, she didn't kill it. there are too many resources for that to be going on.

there are several types of abortions:

D&C which is dilation and cutterage.
D&E which is dilation and evacuation.
And suction and aspiration is the most common. Its basically numbing the cervix and inserting a tube to collect the fetus into a tube.

The middle kind (D&E) would be the kind she would have to have. Although, if she is past a certain stage in her pregnancy, she might not be able to have one done.

She needs to be seen by a doctor whether they can do an abortion or not. If she gets an infection in her uterus or her cervix, she could die. There are too many ways doctors can help out girls in that situation to have another casualty from it. And I can tell you that you probably shouldn't go searching for stuff about abortions because if you just want the facts, you probably wont get them. you will probably be directed to most sites that are christian run which will not do anything except put her on a guilt trip. Tell her the serious risks that come along with what she did. I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to not be seen by a doctor right now.

Thanks so much Saluki for responding with that info, now Im even more worried.
I just spoke with her again and she doesn't seem to care about the trouble she may have caused herself. She's refusing outright to see anyone about it. I don't know if it's that she doesn't realise the gravity of what she's done, but she's so blase about it. She started screaming at me for trying to help her and now she won't take my calls
I can'y even call someone on her behalf because all i know is her mobile number and what city she lives in.
Your right about looking for facts about abortion online, I pretty much found what you said I would.
Thanks again for responding so fast.

ive been criticized for being so feminist so situations like this really bother me. what will she do if it didnt work and she has the kid? does she not have insurance or something?

and if she is worried about being called names nd having doctors look down on her she shouldnt be. theyre there to help, not to condemn. and most of them feel the same way about it - better safe than sorry. they would rather her come in for it to be done correctly than to do that and possibly injur herself permanently or even die. im not trying to scare you it just really worries me that in 2008 this kind of thing is still happening.

have you ever seen the movie "if these walls could talk"? there is a portion of it in the 50's with demi moore that deals with this exact subject. i really hope shes okay but if you cant convince her to go, its up to her now. all you can do is be there for her. dont be so adamant about going to a doctor that she doesnt feel she can go to you for support. if she chooses not to go then thats her decision and all you can do now is be there when she needs you. shes lucky to have such a caring friend like you but when someone is in this kind of situation they see caring as anger not concern. maybe if you approach her in a manner thats more like "even if you don't go im still here for you" she might be more likely to calm down and listen to the facts y'know? good luck to both of you.

I second the notion that she needs to go to a doctor. There's nothing you can do. She needs to see a doctor and thats final. Until she does, she's just putting a huge burden on you and thats not fair.

you know reading this post really concerns me. because i am wondering what she will do if she does have a baby. will she hurt it? i mean will it be like one of those cases you hear about in the news where the woman delivers alone and then kills the child because she doesn't want it. i don't mean to be insensitive to her situation. i feel really bad that she has been raped and is going through all of this. but her attitude towards getting help really concerns me.