What is Abortion, How is Abortion Performed and the Many Views on Abortion

How Is Abortion Performed

Abortion is performed a couple different ways. One way abortion is performed is suction aspiration. Suction aspiration is performed within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Rods are inserted to widen the opening to the women's cervix and then a tube inserted into the uterus. The placenta and fetus is then suctioned out. A curette is used to scrape the uterus to make sure no products remain. This procedure is over within fifteen minutes.

When a woman is over twelve weeks of pregnancy, she will need a mid-trimester abortion. It's similar to the suction aspiration but preparing the cervix is a little more involved. The women will need to take hormone-blocking tablets to soften her cervix. The tablets are inserted into her vagina or taken orally by mouth. The tablets take about two hours to soften the cervix. The abortion starts with suction and instruments to remove tissues. The device inserted into the woman's cervix will swell over a few hours until the woman's cervix is wide enough to perform the abortion. The abortion is performed in one to two days.

What to Do After an Abortion

Women who have had an abortion should not swim or take baths, instead take showers only to prevent infection. Don't use tampons or have sexual intercourse. If a woman feels severe abdominal pain or runs a fever and bleeding becomes heavy, she will need to see a doctor right away.

Complications of Abortion

Complications of abortion vary depending on a few factors like length of pregnancy, experience and training of the doctor performing the abortion. Complications of abortion can include:

Hemorrhage - which is heavy bleeding and could be a result of pieces from the placenta remaining inside the woman's uterus?

Infection - a pelvic inflammatory disease may occur in women resulting in a high fever. Pieces of the placenta left inside can result in an infection. There is risk of infection after an abortion if the woman has a sexually transmitted disease called Chlamydia.

Injury to the uterus - uterus walls are soft and muscular and when a suction tube or knife is used, it can puncture the uterus. Thus causing infection and severe bleeding.

Injury to the cervix - stretching the cervix can weaken the cervix and making pregnancies later on in life very difficult. There is potential that the cervix will be too weak to carry a fetus.

Supporters of abortion agree that a fetus is not a person yet. Supporters also feel the government should not ban abortion unless they prove a fetus is a person. This is how it becomes tricky. From the time a baby is conceived, is he/she a person? No the fetus is not fully developed but in a few short months he/she will be a bouncing bundle of joy.

Non-supporters of abortion disagree because from the point of conception a woman has a living breathing baby growing inside of her. I have to say I totally agree, from the point of conception it is a person. Therefore, I am against abortion except in a case of danger to mother or child. This is the only way I can see a woman having an abortion. However, in cases of rape there is always adoption. I know that would be difficult for some women to carry a child of rape for nine months. The fetus never had a say in being conceived. He/she should not be terminated because of rape. That child also deserves to be born and have a life all his/her own. There are plenty of women who cannot get pregnant and would love to adopt a baby.

Why Do Women Have Abortions

Women and teen girls may have an abortion for many different reasons. The main reason I hear so much of is I cannot afford to take care of a baby. For many people who are against abortion this is a sad excuse to have an abortion. If you are not ready to take care of a baby, there are ways to prevent pregnancy. Condoms (not always effective), birth control pills (not always effective) and your best chance at not becoming pregnant are abstinence.

Some women and teens have abortions because of health risks to mother or child. This is the only reason I see fit to have an abortion. If the mother or child is at risk for death then yes an abortion should be performed on the mother.

What Are Views of Abortion

Some people view abortion as a woman's choice to do what she wants with her body. Many say it is a woman's freedom to choose and control what happens to and with her body. While this is true to a certain extent, what about the unborn fetus's rights?

Some people think the government should not have a say in a woman's right to have an abortion. If the government did not make laws concerning abortion, how many women would be having abortions everyday?

Yes, women have a say in what they do with their body, but the little bundle living inside of her has not had his or her say on if they want to live or die. How is that fair? The woman is making a decision about her body but forgets she is making a decision about her unborn child's body.

Many women and teens will have an abortion because they fear a lifetime of suffering. If that is the case, there again adoption is available.

Some people believe in the Bible verse Exodus 21:22-25. The Bible verse states, "And if men strive together, and u=hurt woman with child, so that her fruit depart and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." What many perceive this verse to mean is hurting or killing an unborn child is wrong and should be punished accordingly.

Another view I heard was, I once read somewhere (I wish I could remember where) that a high percentage of newborn babies are found within a few blocks of hospitals every year. I believe that if a woman feels that strongly about not keeping the baby, it's better to terminate the pregnancy than for something horrible to happen once the baby is born. It's easy to say that she can give it up for adoption, but many women feel ashamed because of how it makes them seem to others and may be influenced by family and friends - while an abortion can be done privately, without any scrutiny.

Another viewpoint on abortion is, am pro-choice. I do not feel it is my place to tell a woman what she can and cannot do. I also do not feel the government should be able to dictate a woman's choice. Abortion is a big deal and the individual making the choice should not be made to feel that she is "bad" for choosing to have one. We cannot possibly understand what is going through an individual woman's head or in her life and, therefore, should never judge her for making the choice to have an abortion. To sum it up, I believe in "live and let live" and that I am not in any position to judge another human being or her decisions. I believe in loving, tolerating, and not judging any human being for making a choice

Another viewpoint on abortion to consider, Many feel it should be looked at on a case by case basis as far as its appropriateness. Many don't like seeing a person using abortion as a means of birth control as freely as someone else might use a condom as a means of birth control. Many think severely deformed fetuses might best be aborted.

Other viewpoints on abortion include, Many wish that everyone even considering an abortion would watch a video of one. It's murder, plain and simple. Most times the baby (notice they don't call it a "fetus"), tries to move away from whatever is being injected into its mothers body, or the vacuum that is preparing to rip it into shreds. Very heart breaking.
Why not be unselfish enough to wait just a few months, give birth, then give the baby to a couple that would love and cherish it for a lifetime? Seems simple enough. Most times a reputable adoption agency will work it out to where the mother's expenses are paid, etc.
In cases of rape--bless the woman, but it's still "not" the baby's fault.

Another valid viewpoint is, Many people have a problem when women decide to have a baby unwed and the father is still expected to pay child support. If the father doesn't get a vote in the birth of a baby why should he have to pay for a baby he might not have wanted?

If women want choice then they should also take the responsibilities of parenting completely especially if they decide to have a baby while unwed.

It takes two people to make a baby but it seems that the father has no rights either to becoming a father or paying child support. If a woman wants true equality as women we have to take full responsibility for all our choices.

Abortion is a harsh subject that should not be taken lightly. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinions on this matter. Before having an abortion, women need to consider is it worth risking your health and is it worth killing an unborn child. Abortion is something many women never get over after having one performed. So in that respect you need to be 100 percent sure you know what you are doing. Abortion is a personal choice a woman makes and has to live with on her own, no one but her lives with that choice. Best of luck to all.

Sources:

ProChoice.com - Abortion, How Is It Performed

AbortionFacts.com - How Are Abortions Done