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Abortion, in its most common usage, refers to the deliberate early termination of a pregnancy, resulting in the death of the embryo or fetus. Medically, the term also refers to the early termination of a pregnancy by natural causes ("spontaneous abortion" or miscarriage, which ends 1 in 5 of all pregnancies, usually within the first 13 weeks) or to the cessation of normal growth of a body part or organ. What follows is a discussion of the issues related to deliberately induced abortion.
The medical definition of pregnancy requires that implantation has already occurred so, technically, emergency contraceptives do not interfere with pregnancy. The controversy arises when one considers that conception occurs before implantation. Some believe the zygote is a human being with the same moral standing of an implanted embryo before pregnancy technically starts.
"Morning after" or "emergency" contraceptive drugs that are taken within 72 hours of sex interfere with the release of eggs from the ovary or with fertilization, and so are not generally considered to be forms of abortion, though some groups (notably the Roman Catholic Church) consider them to be abortions, because they interfere with implantation of a zygote when taken later.
Depending on the stage of pregnancy, an abortion is performed by a number of different methods. Chemical abortion is the usual method when it is induced before the first nine weeks. The procedure consists of administering either methotrexate or mifepristone (RU-486) followed by administration of misoprostol. Approximately 8% of these abortions require surgical followup.
In the first fifteen weeks, suction-aspiration or vacuum abortion is one of the most common methods, replacing the more risky dilation and curettage (D & C). Manual vacuum aspiration (MVE) consists of emptying the uterus by suction using a manual syringe. From the fifteenth week up until around the eighteenth week a surgical dilation and evacuation (D & E) is used. D & E consists of opening the cervix of the uterus and emptying it using surgical instruments and suction.
Dilation and suction curettage consists of emptying the uterus by suction using a special apparatus. Curettage is cleaning the walls of uterus with a curette. Dilation and curettage (D & C) is a standard gynaecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, such as examination.
As the fetus size increases, other techniques must be used to secure abortion in the third trimester. Premature expulsion of the fetus can be induced with prostaglandin; this can be coupled with injecting the amniotic fluid with saline or urea solution. Very late abortions can be brought about by the controversial intact dilation and extraction (D & X) or a hysterotomy abortion, similar to a caesarian section, and requiring the surgical decompression of the fetus's head before evacuation. (This is the procedure controversially termed "partial-birth abortion").
See also: Sex selective abortion, herbal contraception
Abortion has been associated with increased risk of depression. According to a study of 1,884 women conducted by the Breast cancer: an analysis of 53 epidemological studies undertaken in 16 countries did not find evidence of a relationship between abortion and breast cancer (Breast cancer and abortion. The Lancet, 2004;363;pg 1007).
Main Article: Abortion Law
Abortion has long been a controversial subject throughout history due to its moral and ethical implications. It has been regularly banned and otherwise limited, though illegal abortions have continued to be commonplace in many areas regardless of the legal status. Almost 2/3 of the world’s women currently reside in countries where abortion may be obtained on request or for a broad range of social, economic or personal reasons. Abortion laws vary widely by country, with some countries allowing nearly total liberalization, and others banning abortion under any circumstances.
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