What is abortion?
Abortion is the process of ending a pregnancy. It's also known as a termination of pregnancy. Pregnancy can be ended either by taking medicines or having a surgical procedure.
Reasons for Abortion
In a study, researchers analyzed a sample of 954 women from 30 abortion facilities across the globe. They found that women cited many reasons for choosing an abortion, including the following:
- Being unprepared financially
- Bad planning
- Concerns relating to partners
- They intend to give their existing children more attention
- Concerned that the pregnancy will restrict chances in the future
- Lacking emotional capability
- Reasons related to health
- The belief that the child deserved a better life
- Being either mature or independent
- Pressures from friends or family
The majority of the women in the study gave different explanations for why they decided to end their pregnancies. They concluded that several circumstances, including a woman's age, health, socioeconomic level, parity, and marital status, had an impact on her decision to seek an abortion.(2)
Advantages of Medical Abortion
The benefits of medical abortion are as follows:
- You can obtain one as soon as you know that you are expecting one.
- Neither anesthetic nor surgery is required.
- You can stay at home after the cramping and bleeding starts.
- It might appear more natural.
- You can choose to bring a supportive family with you. (6)
Disadvantages of Medical Abortion
The following drawbacks of medical abortion:
- There will be heavy and severe bleeding for a few days.
- After nine weeks of pregnancy, this method cannot be performed.
- The procedure requires more time.
Make sure you are prepared to take all of the prescribed doses of the abortion medications before you begin. The health effects of skipping a dose or neglecting the instructions might be severe.(6)
Risks of Abortion
- Unfinished abortion
- There is significant bleeding that is unstoppable
- Infection
- Fever
- stomach discomfort and diarrhea
- Allergic reaction caused by medication. (1)
Types of Abortion
There are different ways to perform an abortion.
Every healthcare provider might recommend a different type of abortion. As very abortion differs based on pregnancy tenure or other circumstances.
1. Medication Abortion
Taking drugs to end your pregnancy constitutes a pharmaceutical abortion, often known as a medical abortion.
According to Planned Parenthood, this kind of abortion is often only an option up to 11 weeks after your last period.
A pharmaceutical abortion can help someone end a pregnancy without surgery in roughly 95% of cases. Medication abortions can take up to 24 hours to complete.
2. Surgical Abortion
An "in-clinic abortion," also known as a surgical abortion, is a technique that removes pregnancy tissue from a person's womb (uterus).
There are two variants of surgical abortions:
- Suction Abortion (Vacuum Aspiration) Abortion by suction (Vacuum Aspiration) With this method, the uterus is gently suctioned empty. Up until 14 to 16 weeks following your last period, a suction abortion can be done. The majority of in-clinic abortions take place in this way.
- Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) Abortion A D&E includes emptying a woman's uterus using suction and medical equipment. If it has been at least 16 weeks since your last menstruation, a doctor might advise this kind of operation.
Abortions performed in clinics often last between 5 and 10 minutes. The majority of surgical abortions are quite successful. More than 99 times out of 100, they are successful.
3. Abortion Later in Pregnancy
After 21 weeks of pregnancy, abortions are extremely rare. Abortions at this point in the pregnancy are occasionally referred to as "late-term abortions."
Impact of Abortion
The choice to become pregnant or not, comes with obvious clinical implications. There are many medical conditions like pulmonary hypertension. where the health of the mother may be compromised by the fact that she is pregnant. And where doctors tell the patients not to become pregnant because the risk is so great.
Ectopic pregnancies can only be treated by medicine or surgery. As they increase the mother's risk of fallopian tube rupture and severe bleeding. Additionally, premature membrane rupture in women might result in an unviable pregnancy. Delaying therapy could put the patient in danger of death or permanent infertility.
Abortion and Mental Health
Induced abortions do not appear to be associated with mental health issues. But other normal unintended pregnancy has mental health impact.
A woman who has her first abortion in the first trimester is won't be affected by mental health issues. But a woman who carries an unwanted pregnancy to term goes through mental health issues.
But, the outcome of a woman having her second or next abortion is less certain.
According to some older reviews concluded that abortion increased the likelihood of psychiatric issues, but they lacked an appropriate control group. (9)
Opinions of our healthcare Professionals
- Well, it's a very wide spectrum topic to write on Abortion per se does not influence women's health to a large degree though it can cause infertility in a small subset of patients. The most important risk factor is a pelvic inflammatory disease which is associated with instrumentation for an induced abortion or a curettage following a spontaneous abortion. PID can cause secondary infertility or ectopic pregnancy which can be a life-threatening situation. (By Muhammad Imran, Cardiac Surgery, UK)
- The initial risk to a woman's well-being is the risk of infection and sepsis due to an incomplete abortion. Further risks include long-term fertility issues related to scarring and infection. There is an increased risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease for women infected with chlamydia at the time of the abortion. There may be considerable emotional impact and sadness for a woman undergoing a termination which may cause long-term mental health issues. (By H Hart, Family Practice, UK)
- Personal choice in medicine has always been central to the practice of patient-centered care, we must remember that we have said an oath to not harm. In this case, we should endeavor to do both and keep the patients' safety and health at the forefront always. It will help to avoid unwanted, unsafe practices in the future. (By Alethea Correa, Family Practice ,Canada)
- As a woman & a physician, I believe that abortion should be undertaken for valid medical reasons only & implemented by a legal medical practitioner. By making it illegal women with needy causes would be driven to illegal & dangerous "back-street endeavors". (By Helen Chan, Oncologist, Canada)
- Abortion restrictions should not be advised. Such rules will inflict adverse effects on women. Laws should be promulgated for free and safe abortion. (By Dr. Bethrand Frank, Hematology & Oncology, USA)
- It is horrible to think back to the 1960s when women in Southern California would cross the border to Mexico for an illegal (but available) abortion. Similar situations will arise again with new legislation and rulings. When abortions go into the dark, the safety of abortions crash. There will never be a law banning abortion per se, only a law banning legal (and safe) abortion. (By Marc Effron, Cardiology, USA)
- Without the right to choose, women's and children's lives will all be in jeopardy and who knows what rights will be restricted next? (By Susan Ciampaglia, Nephrologist, USA)
- Restricting abortions could jeopardize the health of the mother and possibly the unwanted baby. (By Judith Andreano, Dermatology, USA)
Reference Link
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/abortion/#:~:text=An%20abortion%20is%20a%20procedure,or%20having%20a%20surgical%20procedure.
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/abortion/guide/
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
- https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/topics/ob-gyn-information-center/abortion-ban-womens-health-roe-v-wade/
- https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-13-29
- https://ujalacygnus.com/blog_post/medical-abortion-advantages-and-disadvantages/
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
- https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/topics/ob-gyn-information-center/abortion-ban-womens-health-roe-v-wade/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion#cite_note-Grimes2012-12