What happens when a woman gets an abortion?
(Acording to the article About Abortion Procedures by the Feminist Women's Health Center)
During an abortion, the pregnancy is removed from the uterus. The method used to do this depends upon the stage of pregnancy and the woman's preference.
The Abortion Pill, (also known as Mifepristone, M&M,
Non-surgical Abortion
or Medical Abortion):
Mifepristone abortion is an option up to 8 weeks. Prescription Mifepristone is
taken in pill form at the clinic. The woman inserts Misoprostol pills into her
vagina, causing the uterus to contract and expel the tissue. Some women prefer
The Abortion Pill because the process feels more natural and private; they can
decide where they are when they go through the experience, such as staying home
for the weekend.
Vacuum Aspiration:
In the first trimester, usually 6 to 13 weeks, vacuum aspiration is the procedure
used to empty the uterus. This abortion uses suction created by an aspirating
machine to remove the uterine contents.
IPAS Syringe - Early Abortion with Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA):
As soon as the pregnancy can be detected by ultrasound (typically 4-5 weeks),
an abortion can be performed using a manual aspiration device called the IPAS
Syringe. Similar to the suction aspiration procedure, the IPAS system uses suction
to extract the contents of the uterus. But instead of using a machine to create
suction, the suction is created by a handheld syringe.
D & E (Dilate and Evacuate):
From 13 to 24 weeks, a common procedure is the Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
procedure. Appointments On the first day, an ultrasound (sonogram) is performed
to determine the size of the fetus. Then, the abortion procedure is begun by
numbing the cervix with injections and inserting dilators into the cervix.
Overnight these dilators gently expand, opening the entrance to the uterus.
The next day,
the cervix is again numbed, the dilators are removed, and the doctor uses special
instruments to evacuate the uterus removing the pregnancy. The final step is
suction using the aspirating machine.
General Anesthesia:
General anesthesia is an option for either first or second trimester procedures.
With general anesthesia, the woman is unconscious during the procedure (only
5 to 15 minutes) and afterward she has no memory of the events. The anesthesia
is administered intravenously, through an IV in the arm, by a licensed nurse
anesthetist. It is fast-acting and consciousness quickly returns when the procedure
is over. Afterward, the client relaxes for 1-2 hours before she can leave the
clinic and she must not drive afterward. There is an extra charge for general
anesthesia and not all insurance plans cover it.
Local Anesthesia / Conscious Sedation / Comfort Sleep
Several anesthesia options are available to help make the abortion as comfortable
as possible.
The procedure is generally very short and the woman can choose not to remember
it.
A Short List of Possible Risks
(According to the article Abortion: What do you Want to Know?Abortion: What do you Want to Know? by the Feminist Women’s Health Center.)
Although some risk is involved, it is generally less the the risk of childbirth and less than 1% of all abortion patients experience a major complication.
The risks include:
According to Science when does life begin?
Timeline of Development
( according to Facts of Life by Jackie Jura and the article Abortion by Just Facts):
3 weeks after fertilization: The eyes and spinal cord are visible and the developing brain has two lobes ( the fully developed brain will have 4). There is no heartbeat yet.
4 weeks after fertilization: The heart starts to beat. The lungs are beginning to develop and are identifyable as lungs. The cerebrum (associated with conciousness) is also beginning to develop.
7 weeks after fertilization: The muscles and nerves begin working together. The cerebrum seperates into hemispheres.
9 weeks after fertilization: Almost all body structures found in the human body are formed. The focus changes from the formation of new structures to the development of existing structures. Medical Classification changes from embryo to fetus.
10 weeks after fertilization: The brain and spinal chord are fully developed. All parts of the body are sensitive to touch except for portions of the head.
12 weeks after fertilization: Electrical signals from the nervous system are measurable.
14 weeks after fertilization: The fetus makes coordinated movements of the arms and legs.
18 weeks after fertilization: The cerebral cortex (responsible for reasoning and memory) is fully developed.
24 weeks after fertilization: Taste buds are functional. More than 80% can survive if born and given special care.
28 weeks after fertilization: If born and given special care, 95% can survive.
36 weeks after fertilization:
38 weeks after fertilization: At birth, the classification changes from a fetus to a neonate. This is the average time humans are born.
The medical textbook, Before We Are Born - Essentials of Embryology and Birth Defects, clearly states: "The zygote and early embryo are living human organisms."
If you judge life to start at the first heartbeat, life begins at 4 weeks after fertilization. If you judge it to start at the full formation of a brain, it begins much later. If you judge it to start when the baby can survive on it's own, it starts for 80% at 24 weeks after fertilization.
Some Important Vocab by 5 different dictionaries
(four of them are medical dictionaries and one is an english dictionary)
| Life | Lifespan | Fetus | Human | Abortion | |
| American Illustrated Medical Journal (medical dictionary) | "A certain peculiar stimulated condition of organized matter in which organized beings are endowed with certain powers and functions not associated with inorganic matter." | Not Defined | "The unborn offspring of a viviparous animal, a child in the womb." | Not Defined | "The expulsion of the fetus before viability, an untimely delivery when the fetus dies." |
Black's Medical Dictionary (medical dictionary) |
Not Defined | Not Defined | "embryo or a child when it is in the womb, a human being." | "miscarriage or the seperation and expulsion of the contents of the uterus before the 28th week after fertilization." | |
| International Dictionary of Medicine (medical dictionary) | "unborn child or offspring while still in the uterus." | "a member of the genus Homo," | |||
| Merriam Webster Online Dictionary (english dictionary) | "the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body" and as "the period from birth to death." | "duration of existence." | "developing human" | "having human form or attributes or susceptible to or representative of the sympathies and frailties of human nature" | "termination of a pregnancy resulting in the death of the fetus." |
| Stedman's Medical Dictionary (medical dictionary) | "essential condition of being alive or having an active metabolism." | "duration of existence." | "Unborn young of an animal after it has taken form in the uterus or the product of conception." | "giving birth to an embryo prior to viability or the product of such a process." or "the arrest of this action or process before i'ts completion." |
So, even from a medical standpoint, it is not made clear whether a fetus is considered alive or abortion is considered killing and some dictionaries even avoid the issue completely.
Designed by Margo Anderson on 5/12/06 through Mount Holyoke College.
Contact Info: msanders@mtholyoke.edu