Abortions: Types | Methods | Aborting Unwanted Pregnancy

TYPES OF ABORTIONS

Septic Abortion - It is the complete or incomplete termination of pregnancy accompanied by infection, which may be manifested by bloody or purulent flow, fever, or severe hypogastric pain. Most patients are admitted to hospitals with a history of abortive maneuvers such as standing on toes, forcibly crossing legs, and contracting thighs. Septic abortion is a serious problem because of its high incidence and it complications.

Induced Abortion - Induced abortion as defined by WHO (World Health Organization) is the result of some maneuvers carried out deliberately with the intention of pregnancy termination. These maneuvers can be performed by the pregnant women herself or by nurse or doctor on behalf of her. Since the first laws in the early last century, induced abortion has been decriminalized in many first, second or third world countries and legalization of induced abortion in these countries has led to a dramatic decrease in mortality and morbidity rates.

Legal Abortion - Induced abortion when performed under decriminalization laws of the country where it is practiced is considered legal. It should be done with the consent of the pregnant lady, at an accredited institution, and if there is any danger to health or life of the pregnant women because of r*pe or fetal malformations.

Illegal Abortion - Abortion is considered unlawful or illegal when it is carried out against the laws of some country where it is practiced. When abortion is prohibited by law, circumstances dictate that many women seek out midwives or doctors who lend themselves for this purpose. Illegal abortion or aborting unwanted pregnancy illegally becomes really dangerous due it being done in an unaccredited institution or sometimes done in house directly by inexperienced midwives without using sterile techniques causing severe infection complications. These are the reasons why maternal mortality and morbidity in illegal abortions is vastly superior to those of legal abortions. Moreover, illegal abortion is practiced in worst hygienic conditions with limited opportunities to go to an accredited hospital in case of severe medical emergency.

METHODS OF ABORTION

Suction or Vacuum Aspiration - Suction abortion is done between 6^th and 12^th week of pregnancy. This pregnancy termination method is performed by inserting a tube via the cervix (the entrance to the uterus), which is connected with a powerful vacuum that tears the baby's body as you remove it. Then, with the tube or with a curette (steel curved knife), the abortionist cuts into pieces the placenta separating it from the walls of the uterus and then removing completely.

Dilation and Curettage or D&C - D&C is done in non-pregnant women for both diagnostic and treatment purposes in cases of heavy menstrual bleeding, miscarriage, or pelvic inflammatory disease, but in pregnant women D&C is a form of pregnancy termination method performed in the late first or early second trimester when the baby is too large to be removed by suction. D&C is similar to vacuum aspiration, but instead of breaking up the fetus by suction, gynecological surgeons use a curette or a knife in spoon shape with a sharp point with which the baby is cut into pieces in order to facilitate extraction via the cervix itself. Then, the remaining products of conception are removed with forceps.

Cesarean Section - This pregnancy termination is performed during the last 3 months of pregnancy. It consists of a caesarean section, not in order to save the unborn baby, but to let it die or to kill it directly. This is a major surgery and has frequent complications.

Prostaglandin Abortion - This potent drug, prostaglandalin, is administered to cause violent contractions of the uterus to expel the baby prematurely and let it die. However, sometimes the baby is born alive, which the abortionist believes as one of the “complication of prostaglandin abortion”.

Saline Injection - Saline injections is used only after 16 weeks of pregnancy. The amniotic fluid that protects the baby is removed and instead a concentrated salt solution is injected. The baby swallows this solution this causes death in 12 hours of injecting saline causing poisoning, dehydration, bleeding of the brain and other organs, and convulsions. This painful saline injection produces severe burns on the baby's skin. A few hours later, the mother begins “delivery” and gives birth to a dead or nearly dead baby.

My views on aborting unwanted pregnancy - Above were the painful medical procedures done to abort a baby. Frankly speaking, when I was writing about them, I was in tears just because according to me, aborting an unwanted pregnancy when done due to negligence, low socioeconomic conditions, pressure of family and partner, fear of social expectation (marginalization, truncation of their expectations at the time), lack of affective s*x education, improper use of contraception (use of traditional practices), or when the relationship with your partner is not stable is a really shameful act because abortion simply means killing a life inside the mother’s womb but if an abortion is done due to problems of mother or baby’s health or r*pe or inc*st, then it is a graceful act because at that time by doing an abortion, an abortionist is helping the mother in some way or another. Sometimes, there are cases where it becomes really important to abort the baby due to deterioration of health of mother to save her life.

Unwanted pregnancy in teenagers can be avoided by:

• Developing a family-oriented program with proper s*x education and sometimes this must be oriented to the groups according to their needs.
• The education ministry of each country should enact a law which requires the course of s**ual and reproductive health in all schools.
• Parents must be frank with their children and teach them about the consequences of early pregnancy on their lives, health, and social life.
• If in a pre-marital affair which raises the risk of abortions, both partners must use proper protection or follow advanced contraception techniques.