Abortion
Scream of Silence
Abortion has been around since ancient times as a crude method of birth control. Many religions during this time forbade the practice of abortion. Abortion was not illegal in most countries until the 19th century. The law against abortion during this time period forbade the procedure after fetal movement could be felt. However in the 20th century many nations began to relax their laws against abortion. Today, all types of abortions are legal except the partial birth abortion, which will be described later. This procedure is only allowed if the fetus is showing severe deformities.
"An abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by, the death of the fetus"(Encarta Encyclopedia). Not all abortions are intentional- these are specified as miscarriages. A miscarriage is when the fetus does not develop properly or the mother has some type of injury or disorder that is harmful to the fetus and causes it to die. I will go into great detail about the abortions that are induced, because the pregnancy is unwanted or presents a health risk to the mother.
There are different types of procedures that are used determining the length of the pregnancy. The age of the fetus, or the length of the pregnancy establishes the method that is chosen.
The first method uses two drugs that when put together cause the death of the fetus. Misoprostol and methotrexate, an anticancer drug, interfere with cell division. A doctor first injects the pregnant women with the drug methotrexate, and then a week later misoprostol. Misoprostol lead to uterine contractions and forces out the fetus. This combination is 95 percent effective is most women who consume them. Yet, with most drugs they cause side effects. The most common side effects are nausea, cramping, and bleeding. There are more serious side effects such as, arrhythmia, edema, and pneumonia, which affect the heart and lungs and...
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