ABORTION The Right to Choose versus The Right to Life

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ABORTION The Right to Choose versus The Right
to Life

• By David Stevens, M.D.
• Executive Director
• Christian Medical Association

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Definition
The premature expulsion of the human fetus. It
usually refers to an artificially induced
abortion caused by surgical or chemical means. A
spontaneous abortion is often called a
miscarriage.
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Embryo/Fetal Development First Trimester

• Days after Last Menstrual Period
• 18-21 the heart beats
• 32 eyes are formed
• 38 upper lip formed
• 40 brain waves are measurable
• 44 arms and legs formed
• 48 beginnings of all internal structures
  present child is moving
• 56 embryo now called a fetus
• 63 sucking thumb, teeth forming
• 84 cries, feels pain
• Most surgical abortions
• 49 to 70 days

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Fetal DevelopmentSecond Trimester

• 13 to less than 28 weeks
• 13 - 3 in. half oz., reflexes active
• 14 - fingerprints present
• 15 - grasp, grimace, frown, squint
• 16 - 6 in. 6 oz., somersaults, mother feels
  movement
• 17 - hiccups, plays with umbilical cord
• 18 - hair and eyebrows growing
• 20 - hears/recognizes mothers voice
• 22 - responds to stories, music, etc.
• 24 - 1 lb., 85 survival rate
• 26 - responds to light, 1.5 to 2 lbs.

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Fetal DevelopmentThird Trimester

• 28 weeks to Delivery
• 28 - 2 lbs. practicing breathing
• 30 - growing rapidly, sleeps 90 of the
  time, has dreams
• 32 - urinates, 4 lbs.
• 34 - 5 lbs. 19.5 in, head into pelvis
• 36 - 99 survival
• 38 - 1,000 times original size, gaining an
  ounce a day.
• 40 - Birth - 7.5 lbs average weight.

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Abortion MethodsPreventing Implantation

• Morning-After Pill
• Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)
• Progesterone Only BCPs
• Norplant

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Abortion MethodsFirst Trimester

• Dilatation and Curettage
• Suction Aspiration
• RU-486
• Methotrexate

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Abortion MethodsSecond Third Trimesters

• Saline
• Urea
• Prostaglandin
• D E
• D X (Partial Birth Abortion)
• Hysterotomy

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Legal MandatesRoe v. Wade Doe v. Bolton

• At any age
• For no reason in 1st/2nd trimester Any reason in
  3rd
• States can require parent of minor to be
  notified but must have judicial bypass
• States can require informed consent

• 24 - 48 hour waiting period
• State funding not required unless life of
  mother, rape or incest

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Who Gets Abortions?

• 50 have no other children
• 44 had previous abortion
• 20 married
• 20 under 19 years old

• 43 of women will have an abortion
• 6 times more common in unmarried women
• 1 of abortions are for rape or incest

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Who Gets Abortions?

• Each year, about 1.3 million pregnancies are
  terminated by abortion in the United States.
• Some 2.2 of all women aged 1544 had an abortion
  in 1997.
• Abortion is one of the most common surgical
  procedures in the United States.
• By age 20, one in seven women have had at least
  one abortion by age 45, four in 10 have done so.
  
• Source Alan Guttmacher Institutes 2001b
  Henshaw, 1998a

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Reasons for Abortion

• Wants to postpone childbearing 25.5
• Wants no (more) children 7.9
• Cannot afford a baby 21.3
• Having a child will disrupt education or job
  10.8
• Has relationship problem or partner does not want
  pregnancy 14.1
• Too young parent(s) or other(s) object to
  pregnancy 12.2
• Risk to maternal health 2.8
• Risk to fetal health 3.3
• Other 2.1
• SourceBankole, Akinrinola Singh, Susheela
  Haas, Taylor. Reasons Why Women Have Induced
  Abortions Evidence from 27 Countries.
  International Family Planning Perspectives, 1998,
  24(3)1178211127 152 As reported byThe Alan
  Guttmacher Institute Online.

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Abortion by Gestational Age
Source Alan Guttmacher PP (Koonin et al., 1997
data)
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Who Provides Abortions?
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The Unregulated Abortion Industry

• States can
• Ban abortion after viability
• Require parental consent with judicial bypass
• Set waiting periods of 24-28 hours
• Require informed consent
• Keep records
• Almost no states regulate abortion clinics like
  other outpatient surgical facilities.
• States cannot prohibit any abortion technique.

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Abortion Fallacy 1Abortion is Painless

• The majority of women report moderate to severe
  pain during an abortion.
• No pain 1.8
• Hardly any 4.8
• A little 11.1
• Medium 20.8
• Quite a bit 34.2
• Severe 27.4

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Abortion Fallacy 2Abortion is Safer than
Childbirth

• Complications
• Perforated Uterus
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Future miscarriages
• Placenta previa
• Breast cancer risk increased
• Ectopic pregnancy increase
• Death
• Abortion complications are underreported.

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Abortion Fallacy 3Every Child Is A Wanted Child

• Child abuse quadrupled between 1977 and 1993.
• Illegitimacy tripled between 1970 and 1993.
• The number of abortions doubled between 1972 and
  1993.
• 43 of women will have an abortion by the time
  they are 45 years old.

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Abortion Fallacy 4No Post Abortion Syndrome

• 1.4 of women reported symptoms within 2 years of
  their abortion (Arch. of Gen. Psych. 8/2000).
• 1.4 is only the tip of the iceberg, but equals
  560,000 women since 1972.
• 20 reported clinical depression.
• 31 would not do it again.
• Women paid to participate in study 15 wouldnt
  participate and 50 wouldnt allow follow-up
  interview.

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Post Abortion Syndrome

• Archives of Gen. Psychiatry Study
• During the one-year follow up interview
• Sample included 854 women.
• 60 had experienced emotional distress after
  their abortions.
• 16 said it was severe distress.
• 70 said they would never consider abortion
  again if they faced an unwanted pregnancy.
• Negative feelings increased with time.
• 17 experienced physical problems such as
  bleeding and pelvic infections due to the
  abortion. That is a much higher rate than
  abortion providers admit.

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What Does the Public Think?

• Pro-life - 59
• 12 Prohibit always
• 12 Only to save mothers life
• 35 Save life, rape, incest
• Pro-Abortion Rights - 41
• 27 Through third month only
• 7 Only till baby is viable
• 7 Any reason and any time
• 53 - It has hindered relationship between men
  and women
• 78 - Causes emotional trauma
• 70 - Abortion is not necessary for women to
  pursue career goals

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The Hard Cases

• Rape Incest
• Rare lt 0.1 of pregnancies
• Not childs fault - two wrongs dont make a right
• Children of rape - Ethel Waters
• Abortion doesnt heal
• Life of the Mother
• Extremely rare
• Save one life rather than lose two
• Would still be legal if convenience abortion
  banned
• Handicapped Child