The ending of a fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta from the uterus is termed as abortion. The pregnancy at that time is lost after the procedure is carried out, but abortion on its own does not determine the reason for ending a pregnancy (MedicineNet, 2013). Abortion may also be termed as a deliberate termination of pregnancy that is normally carried out within 28 weeks of conception. Miscarriage may become synonymous to abortion if the abortion is categorized as spontaneous. Unlike the normal procedure of abortion, in spontaneous abortion there is no external interference to end a pregnancy within 20 weeks after conceiving. If a woman experiences three consecutive abortions, it is termed as habitual abortion or recurrent pregnancy loss (MedicineNet, 2013). It is the right of every woman to decide whether she wants to bear a child or not; thus, abortion should be a very personal matter, free of societal influence and pressure.
Abortion was common practice in the 1800’s when women helped other women to abort their pregnancy. History provides extensive detail about the procedures and reasons of abortion in earlier times. In Western Europe women, healers were well-known for conducting abortion, and in the US women were trained by European women healers to carry out this procedure. It is important to note that in the early and mid 19th century there were no legal prohibitions related to abortion. However, by the end of the 19th century US states began to pronounce abortion as illegal unless the health of the mother was under threat. Adding on, abortion was now considered as a sin and doctors were prohibited to carry out this procedure (Feminist.com). By the late 20th century, on 22nd January 1973, the Supreme Court declared the previous law regarding abortion was unconstitutional rather; abortion was a personal matter and under the rights to privacy people may consider abortion if they did not wish to have children. However, abortion would only be considered up to the point of viability that would be determined by a professional doctor. If a woman crosses the point of viability she may only be allowed to abort if there are serious health issues.
As abortion was legalized in 1973, the number of abortions doubled between 1973 and 1979. The double fold increase may be attributable to the availability of regulations regarding abortions and safe measures for women who decide to abort. Moreover, when abortion was declared illegal there were fewer reports of abortion, but when it was legalized there was a formal register of all the abortions that were carried out. The number of abortions peaked in 1990 and showed a steady decline ever since. In 2011, the Guttmacher Institute recorded the lowest rates of abortion which they linked to better use and quality of contraceptives. According to statistics recorded by the institute only 16.9 women considered abortion out of a possible 1000 women aged 15-44 (Guttmacher Institute).
In 2010, abortions in the US were majorly carried out on women who were not married and were aged between 15-17 years. The increase in sexual activity amongst teenagers is the prime reason for the increased number of abortions of this age group. Moreover, teenagers are not well-versed about the availability of contraceptives, and they are prone to fertility; thus, resulting in greater pregnancies and consequently, abortions. Similarly, in 2010 more than half of the abortions were performed on first time pregnancies. This is in line with the previous fact of the majority of abortions being done on teenagers. Moreover, 36.7% abortions were conducted on women who had undergone the procedure once or twice previously, and 7.7% was attributable to women who were categorized under habitual abortions (Abort73.com).
The woman’s stage in the pregnancy cycle would determine if the abortion is possible through surgical means or not. A sonogram identifies the viability of the pregnancy and provides a clear picture to doctors before they perform an abortion procedure. Aspiration, Dilation and Evacuation, and Dilation and extraction are forms of surgical abortions. Aspiration is performed in the first 6 to 16 weeks of conception and is done by inserting absorbent rods in the cervix. The entire procedure may last for 10 to 15 minutes, but recovery may take few hours along with a complete antibiotic course to prevent infections. Cramping, nausea, feeling faint and sweating are commonly experienced by women who undergo this procedure. In dilation and evacuation the doctor may insert a synthetic dilator in the woman’s cervix. The doctor may also give shots before the procedure to ensure complete fetal demise. The procedure may last for 15 to 30 minutes depending upon the time taken to remove the contents completely. To ensure complete abortion is done the doctor may do a final section before ending the procedure. The side effects of dilation and evacuation may be similar to aspiration, but women complain of bleeding that may last for two weeks after the procedure. If the pregnancy has prolonged to 21 weeks, the dilation and extraction procedure is used that breaks the water and the woman then undergoes the surgery. Moreover, there are medical procedures to end a pregnancy and these include; Methotrexate and Misoprostol, and Mifeprex and Misoprostol. If a pregnancy needs to be aborted within the first trimester then women may refer to any of the two methods of medical abortion (American Pregnancy Association).
Abortion has been practiced for centuries, but the procedures adopted today are safer and much more regulated. Previously, women had to face severe health issue, as a result, of abortion because there were no formal and medically approved procedures as people worked with experience rather than training. However, abortion has become less common today because of better contraceptives available in the market for women and men both. Use of contraceptives is widely marketed on the media and even amongst young adults. As sexual activity is largely uncontrollable, it has become important to create awareness about protection because large numbers of abortion are being carried out among teenagers. Abortion may have religious consequences as well, but the Supreme Court has declared it as a personal choice of an individual. As people would seek an abortion whether it is legal or illegal; therefore, it is in the favor of the citizens to make it legal so that there are proper standards and procedures. It is difficult to justify abortion based on religious views because people have varying viewpoints and if they deem it a sin they may not consider it as an option. Abortion may even become rarer in the future because of medical advancements that are being undertaken.
Works Cited
"American Pregnancy Association." American Pregnancy Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://americanpregnancy.org/unplannedpregnancy/medicalabortions.html>.
"Feminist.com." HISTORY OF ABORTION. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. <http://www.feminist.com/resources/ourbodies/abortion.html>.
"Guttmacher Institute." U.S. Abortion Rate Hits Lowest Level Since 1973. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://www.guttmacher.org/media/nr/2014/02/03/>.
"MedicineNet." Medterms. N.p., 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2091>.
"U.S. Abortion Statistics." Facts About Abortion:. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. <http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/>.
