Abortion
What is Abortion?
Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, by either natural (miscarriage) or artificial means, (an operation where abortion is induced).
When the ovum becomes fertilised by the sperm, an individual, genetically unique from anyone else comes into existence. The baby's fingerprints, sex, hair colour and eye colour are all decided when fertilisation occurs. The third week after conception, the baby's heart begins to beat regularly and the nervous system is now in order. By the seventh week of pregnancy, muscle reflexes are present, the skeleton is complete as are fingers toes and ears. Milk teeth are present within the gums and brain waves can be recorded. The eighth week after conception major organs such as the liver, stomach, kidney's, heart and brain, are all functioning. By the sixteenth week of the pregnancy vocal chords and sexual organs have formed, the baby at this point half it's birth length. After eighteen weeks the baby is able to move it's legs and arms. It somersaults and kicks in the womb is able to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid, and grasps with its hands. Twenty weeks into the pregnancy hair is appearing: eyebrows, eyelashes, etc. The baby can respond to stimuli that may occur from outside of the womb and weighs approximately 500 grams. All that's left for the baby to do now is grow to the point where it can survive independently (e.g. breath without a respirator).
There are many methods of abortion each one offering an element of risk to the mother.
One of these methods is called Vacuum Aspiration, more commonly known as suction abortion. Whilst the woman is under anaesthetic, the cervix is opened by dilators and a tube is inserted. Once the machine is switched on the premature foetus is sucked down the tube in pieces into a disposable jar. In some cases the head is too large to be aborted by normal means and is crushed before being removed. This method is most common in England and Wales as 85% of abortions are done in this manner. It is generally used up to about 13 weeks of pregnancy when the baby's heart has started beating regularly, its nervous system is in order, its skeleton and muscle reflexes are present and the baby's ears, fingers and toes are all complete. At this stage in the pregnancy the baby's brain waves can be recorded, milk teeth are present in the gums, all the major organs are functioning and vocal chords and sexual organs have formed. Although 13 weeks is a rather early period during pregnancy the unborn child still has almost everything he/she needs to survive, yet termination is still permitted.
Artificial dilation of the cervix can cause the wall of the womb to become pierced (perforated) and as a result of this, easily torn. Another risk carried by this abortion procedure is that, the now damaged cervix may not tighten enough to hold a 'subsequent pregnancy' meaning the likelihood of premature delivery or miscarriage is seriously high during the woman's next pregnancy.
Another method of abortion used is called prostaglandins (induced premature labour).
Prostaglandins are hormones, which are given as pills or injected to induce premature labour. This procedure takes place in the ward rather than in the operating theatre and labour can last from 8 to 22 hours. The contractions felt during labour are agonising, similar to the ones the mother might have experienced during actual childbirth, but in the end the baby is 'expelled from the womb'. This method can be used for women who are in their eighteenth week of pregnancy when the baby has all of the necessary assets it needs and can move it's arms, legs and somersault in the womb. In some cases the child may be living for a short spell after delivery, but will die soon after. If the cervix has failed to expand sufficiently enough for the foetus to be expelled, the baby's head can be crushed with forceps and the rest of the body will then be withdrawn from the mother. Occasionally the baby is poisoned in advance to ensure he/she is no longer living during delivery, it is common for late abortions to be performed in this way.
RU486-Mifepristone: Chemical induced labour
This method of abortion does not require any surgical or anaesthetic intervention.
It is an early method of abortion that has been heralded 'safer' for women, and is used up to 9 weeks in pregnancy. Even though 9 weeks is a very early stage in pregnancy (during which most abortions take place) the foetus is continuously developing at an alarming rate. By the 9th week, all the baby's major organs are functioning, it's fingers and toes are present etc. The termination process takes place in 4 stages
The mother undergoes ...
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RU486-Mifepristone: Chemical induced labour
This method of abortion does not require any surgical or anaesthetic intervention.
It is an early method of abortion that has been heralded 'safer' for women, and is used up to 9 weeks in pregnancy. Even though 9 weeks is a very early stage in pregnancy (during which most abortions take place) the foetus is continuously developing at an alarming rate. By the 9th week, all the baby's major organs are functioning, it's fingers and toes are present etc. The termination process takes place in 4 stages
The mother undergoes counselling and medical checks due to the multiple contra- indications to this drug. After taking 3 tablets containing mifepristone, the woman waits in the clinic for 2 hours. If vomiting occurs then the abortion method will not go on. If the woman does not vomit she is free to return home and it is said that after 12 hours 50% of women begin to pass blood. The woman returns to the clinic after 2 days and is given a vaginal pessary of prostaglandin. During the 6-hour wait that proceeds the pessary, 90% of woman have aborted, 3% have already aborted at home and 60% need strong painkillers. The woman is asked to return to the clinic between 5-9 days later so that doctors can ensure the completion of the abortion. At this point some women have still not aborted and as a result will undergo dilation and curettage. Some women bleed so profusely that blood transfusions are needed.( This is common in 1% of women). Many psychological and medical difficulties stem from this particular method of abortion. As with all abortion procedures, there are many risks. Physical damage can worsen sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, and it can also cause infertility.
Dilation and curettage
In this method the suction tube is replaced by a scraping tool known as a curette, which is used to scrape the foetus from the womb in pieces. It is commonly known that if the placenta or all the parts of the unborn child are not removed, there is great a risk of infection. Depending on the extent of the infection, anything from infertility (inability to ovulate), to haemorrhaging can occur. Another result of this type of abortion, is the serious need for hospital treatment after infection has set in.
Dilation and Evacuation
In this procedure the curette is replaced by small forceps, which are used to both crush and remove the baby from the womb in bits. As this method is used quite late on the pregnancy the baby is rather large, so it is crucial that the woman is checked thoroughly to ensure all parts if the child have been removed. Perforation is the kind of damage that can stem from dilation and evacuation.
The Morning-After Pill
The morning after pill is often prescribed as an emergency contraceptive, approximately 72 hours after engaging in unprotected sex. Contrary to popular belief, the morning-after pill is not a contraceptive but an abortifacient, and in most cases fertilisation would not have even taken place. Two combined oral contraceptives, (high in dosage) of Levonorgestrel (250 micrograms) and ethinyloestradiol (50 micrograms) are taken within approximately 72 hours of unprotected sex. 12 hours later another two tablets are taken. This 'method of abortion' does pose some rather serious risks to the long-term health of the woman involved, for example there is the minor hazard of thromo-embolic complications, whereby the pressure in the main pulmonary artery becomes permanently increased. (Cardiovascular problems are also a known effect of this type of abortifacient). The risks stated above become increased in those who smoke, have weight problems (obesity) or history within the family of disorders such as hypertension or diabetes. Most women who take this drug are not actually pregnant so it is hard to tell its effectiveness. There have been some cases of women who have found themselves to be pregnant even after intake of the pill.
Abortion used to be illegal under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, and in some places for example Ireland, it still is. A large proportion of the western countries have changed their laws which now means that abortions can be obtained without much difficulty. In 1989 there was a Supreme Court review of the law, as a result, a few states passed laws which made it harder for women to be able to get abortions. In 1967 the MP David steel introduced The Abortion Act of 1967, in 1990 the act was altered for improvement and now applies to the whole of the UK, bar Northern Ireland. Abortion is legal if two Doctors agree that continuation of the pregnancy would cause complications to the woman's health or risk to her previous children. In this case termination up to 24 weeks is permitted. Abortion is also legal if two doctors agree that continuation of the pregnancy would seriously interfere with the woman's physical and/or mental health, if there was a risk of the expected child being severely handicapped or if the woman's life was at risk if the pregnancy went on.
There are some circumstances under which termination is permitted at any stage during the pregnancy these are: If doctors believe that letting the pregnancy continue, poses a threat to the life of the woman, if doctor's think/agree that (serious) permanent damage to the woman's mental or physical health, would arise if the birth was allowed to proceed. If there was a chance that the child would be seriously handicapped or suffer from some type of incurable sickness meaning it would die soon after birth.
The reason why The Abortion Act states that terminations are allowed if the pregnancy has not exceeded its 24th week, is because a child can be born live and is viable at this time. Doctors also believe that by forcing a woman to continue her pregnancy (against her will) or refusing her an abortion, poses a direct threat to her mental health.
There are multiple valid reasons that makes abortion an option for many woman:
They may be mentally unprepared for the upbringing of a child
They may be financially unable to cope with the rearing of a child
They may be too young to look after a baby, it could possibly mean the end of their education.
The mother may be young and single.
It may be against the mothers religion to have a baby in her current situation, whatever that may be (unmarried etc).
The mother's life may be at risk with the progression of the pregnancy.
The child may be seriously handicapped if born, or will die soon after birth.
The mother may have had children previously, and could not physically handle another.
The mother may have suffered rape.
The mother's lifestyle may not be suitable/stable enough to bring up a child
A.ii What Christian teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion?
When everyday troubles arise, Christians refer to the bible. The bible is the root of all the moral and ethical decisions we as Christians, have to make. There are many Christian teachings that can be directly linked to the issue of abortion one of them is: Genesis1: 26-27
This passage explains that God made us in his likeness and so we should value the greatest gift from Him, which is life. By aborting a child, you are effectively destroying a human being and are attempting to play the role of God, because ultimately, only God holds the supreme right to end life, as he is the giver of life. This passage portrays some of the eldest beliefs in both Christianity and Judaism, so it forms one of the extremely important principles of Christianity; God is the giver of life, but humans are the superior creation. Just like God is our master, we as humans are the masters of all the other creations on earth. It is for this reason that we should try to respect all life, if we don't respect life, we are disrespecting God. Everyone deserves the opportunity to survive. By aborting a human life you are denying the unborn child that opportunity and denying God, 'The divine right'. Abortion destroys Gods most precious gift to us and by obtaining an abortion, one is wrongly taking Gods power.
Exodus: The sixth commandment forms part of the 10 commandments given to Moses from God, they represent the roots of the principles within the Christian faith. The sixth commandment clearly states 'Thou shall not kill'. When obtaining an abortion, one makes a positive decision to take the life of someone who has no means of defence. Abortion is therefore direct violation of one of the commandments and is also a mortal sin.(Especially if the concept of Christianity is understood fully by the person).
Another quote comes from Jeremiah 1:4-5
" I chose you before I gave you life ". This quote can be directly linked to people's views and perceptions on the sanctity of life. It proves that God chose each and every human being to exist , he knew us before we were born and has a plan for every single person
Sacred and cherished by Him as if it was His own. When aborting a child it is seen by God, as destruction of His temple and is therefore a sin.
Another bible passage that shows abortion is immoral is the one from Jeremiah 1:4-5
The lord said to me
"I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations
The quotation from Jeremiah tries to portray how sacred life within the womb is. There is always an intimacy between God and an unborn child because God plans the life of every single human being, and knows it is a life even before the pregnancy can be detected. The quotation also talks about the fact that we are chosen, abortion effectively stops Gods chosen ones from being able to come into the world and take the path laid down for them.
Psalm 139:13-14
You created my inmost self,
Knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank you:
A wonder am I, and all your works are wonders
This particular passage describes the fact that each one of us is unique and special. It marvels at the wonder of creation and expresses that we are made in the image and likeness of God. It also stresses that God knows each foetus before it is born so the unborn child is seen as important to God if know one else. God creates us in his likeness and does not create rubbish therefore we have no right to assume that is okay for us to destroy his creation, and this is what abortion does.
There are many different beliefs about abortion, however none of the Christian denominations agree fully with the act, bar a few that believe abortion can be necessary in some cases. Christians can be influenced by many different things around them as well as their faith, for example, the society they live in, the job they do, their own personal experience's etc. Sine the 1960's there has also been an increase in feminism which has had an influence in Western European and American Christianity. There are a few Christian denominations, which do not clearly express any teaching on abortion so Christians within those denominations are likely to hold different responses on the issue.
The churches issue statements which can also help Christians in their decisions concerning abortion. These statements act as guidelines, to be followed by all Christians within their particular faith, (Anglican, Roman Catholic, etc).
The Church of England said in a 1984 report that; 'the foetus is to be specially respected and protected, however it also said that ' the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct if it endangers the life of the mother'. This statement conveys one of the circumstances under which the Church of England permits abortion (mothers life at risk). This is also where the Roman Catholic church and The Church of England differ because the Pope states clearly, ' By the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his successors, and in communion with the bishops of the catholic church I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being, is always gravely immoral'. And this is what abortion is perceived to be, the voluntary killing of an innocent human being. In 1987 The Church of Scotland's Board of social responsibilities, concluded that the premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb was morally unacceptable, and is always unjustified. The board went on to say that only in the 'great majority' of cases was abortion a representation of the 'unwarranted destruction' of the life of a human being. The Protestant church generally believes that abortion should be avoided if possible, however they also believe that situations where abortion is necessary can occur. Because these situations may not be clear there is a 'minority Protestant group' which campaign, as they believe that the decision of abortion should be down to the woman and that it is her right, to choose. Some Evangelical Christians strongly disagree with the act, due to the fact that their views are based around the bible teachings.