As many as 30 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, half of them before the woman even realizes she is pregnant. Fortunately, most women who miscarry, even more than once, can become pregnant again and give birth to a healthy baby. If you have had a miscarriage and want to try again, work with your doctor to learn the reason for the loss and to plan future pregnancies. Closely monitored pregnancies are especially important for women who have miscarried.
Abortion methods
Methods of abortion involve surgery; drugs and surgery or drugs’ only depending on what stage the pregnancy has reached.
Vacuum aspiration
Suction abortion - in which the foetus is dismembered (torn apart) by a vacuum machine - is the most common early surgical technique.
The cervix (the neck of the womb) must be stretched open to allow the surgeon to insert a plastic tube into the womb. Sharp-edged openings near the tip of the tube help to dismember the baby so the parts are small enough to be sucked out. The surgeon then uses the suction tube to evacuate the placenta from the womb. The remains of the baby are deposited in a jar for disposal. This is the technique that abortion promoters call "safe, early abortion". However, the vast majority of abortions are performed on healthy young women for non-medical reasons, and abortionists rarely explain the health risks to their clients.
Vacuum aspiration accounts for around 90% of abortions in England and Wales up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, and it is used for around half of abortions performed between 13 and 19 weeks. When used at 13-19 weeks, it is often necessary to use other instruments to remove or crush parts of the baby that are too large to pass through the tube. Artificial dilation of the cervix in pregnancy carries the risk that the cervix will be damaged and will be insufficiently tight to contain a subsequent pregnancy, so the mother runs the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery next time she is pregnant. It is also possible for the wall of the womb to be perforated; this can be very serious for the mother.
Prostaglandin’s (induced premature labour)
Prostaglandin’s are naturally produced chemical compounds that normally assist in the birthing process. The injection of concentrations of artificial prostaglandin’s prematurely into the amniotic sac induces violent intense and painful labour and the birth of a child usually too young to survive. Often salt or another toxin is first injected to ensure that the baby will be delivered dead, since some babies have survived the trauma of a prostaglandin birth and been born alive. This method is used during the second trimester.
In addition to risks of retained placenta, cervical trauma, infection, haemorrhage, hypothermia, bronchoconstriction, tachycardia, side effects that are more serious and complications from the use of artificial prostaglandin’s, including cardiac arrest and rupture of the uterus, can be unpredictable and very severe. Death is not unheard of.
RU486-Mifepristone: chemical-induced abortion
This is an earlier method of abortion that does not involve surgery or anaesthetic and is being promoted as “safer” for women. This method is used up to 9 weeks in pregnancy.
How does RU-486 work?
RU-486 blocks a hormone needed for the pregnancy to continue. When used together with another medicine called misoprostol, RU-486 ends your pregnancy.
How effective is RU-486?
RU-486 followed by the vaginal insertions is approximately 92-95% effective. You can get RU-486 only from a clinic or certain doctors offices. Because it can be used only during early stages of pregnancy, you must come in for your appointment before you are 49 days from the day your last period began. The earlier you call the better.
What are the advantages of RU-486?
Because RU-486 comes in pill form and is taken by mouth, you can usually avoid surgery. In addition, because it works very early in your pregnancy, RU-486 allows you to take early action to end your pregnancy.
What are the side effects of RU-486?
Bleeding and cramping are a normal part of the process. The bleeding can be heavier than a normal period and usually lasts from 9-16 days. In some cases, women may have severe bleeding and then would need to contact the clinic or their doctor immediately. Your provider will instruct you on how to handle any pain, nausea, headache, vomiting, or diarrhea that could also occur. How safe is RU-486? The FDA, which has tested it for both safety and effectiveness, has approved RU-486. In the past decade, almost 700,000 women in Europe have safely used RU-486 to end their pregnancies.
Dilation and curettage (D&C)
Surgical procedure in which the cervix is dilated and the lining of the uterus scraped. A D&C may be necessary to empty the uterus after a miscarriage. The D&C is also used on occasion to investigate abnormal menstrual bleeding, as well as a method for abortion. As with every abortion unless all the parts are removed it is possible for infection to set in. if infection is not treated quickly the woman will be very ill, sometimes haemorrhaging and needing urgent hospitalisation.
The D&C procedure takes between five and fifteen minutes to complete. When D&C is done in the operating room, the patient is usually in the room for 30-60 minutes.
Dilation (opening of the cervix) is required in miscarriages when the cervix has not yet opened. Sterile metal probes of increasing width are placed through the cervical (opening). This slow stretching prevents tearing of the cervix.
Curettage empties the uterus of all its contents. In miscarriage, curettage is performed with a suction curette, a sterile plastic tube that attaches to a vacuum machine. The tube is placed up into the uterus and the suction is turned on. Placental tissue and uterine lining are suctioned down the tubing and into a collecting device. Often we do not see the embryo.
Dilation and evacuation (D&E)
Instead of a curette, small forceps are used to crush the body and pull it out in bits. As this is used, later in the pregnancy, the body is larger and as with D&C someone must check that every part of the body has been removed to ensure that infection does not occur. Perforation is a hazard of D&E abortion.
The risks of dilation and evacuation (D&E) include:
- Injury to the uterine lining or cervix.
- The wall of the uterus may be cut (uterine perforation, which is rare) by a surgical instrument.
- Infection. Bacteria can enter the uterus during the procedure and cause an infection. This is more likely if an untreated disease, such as a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is present before the procedure. Antibiotics given during or after the D&E procedure will reduce this risk.
Morning-after pill
This is usually called “emergency contraception” but it is not a contraceptive it is an abortifacient. In most cases, fertilisation will not and could not have taken place. Tow tablets of high-dosage combined oral contraceptives (levonorgestrel, 250 micrograms, and ethinyloestradiol, 50 micrograms) are taken within 72 hours of intercourse and a further two tablets 12 hours later. The risks to women’s health are: a small risk of thrombo-embolic and cardiovascular complications that increase with age, obesity and smoking. Anyone with a family history of diabetes and hypertension are at increased risk. Because most women who are given this drug are not pregnant, it is not possible to measure how effective it is in procuring early abortion. There are recorded cases of women who remained pregnant after using this method.
What does the law say about abortion?
Abortion used to be a crime. In Ireland and some other places it still is. However, in most western countries, the law has changed and today it is possible to get a legal abortion.
In Britain abortion used to be a crime under the Offences against the Person Act of 1861, (200,000 probably occurring illegally). In 1967, the liberal MP David Steel introduced a bill into the House of Commons, which became THE ABORTION ACT OF 1967. The act was amended in 1990 as THE HUMAN FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYOLOGY ACT OF 1990 and applies to the whole of the UK except Northern Ireland. The act lists the following conditions:
- Two doctors agree and it is carried out "before the time of viability" i.e. before the baby could survive outside the womb (put at 28 weeks in 1967).
- To continue the pregnancy would put the mother or other members of the family at greater risk.
- It is necessary to avoid permanent injury, physical or psychological to the mother.
- There is real risk that the baby would be born handicapped or deformed.
- The 1990 Act lowered the time of viability to 24 weeks.
Most abortions in Britain are performed under the part of the abortion act which allows abortion if the pregnancy involves a risk to the physical or mental health of the mother. Many doctors involved in abortions argue that if a woman is determined not to have a child, to refuse her an abortion poses a possible threat to her mental health. For this reason the majority of abortions in the UK are performed for “social reasons” on perfectly healthy pregnancies.
The father of the foetus to be aborted has no right to be consulted or to object to the abortion, even if he is married to the mother. In 1987, a student at the University of Oxford lost his attempt in the courts to prevent his girlfriend aborting the child they have conceived.
England & Wales
Offences Against The Person Act 1861 - it's an offence for a woman, or any other person, to administer any instrument, drug or poison with the intent of procuring a miscarriage. It's also an offence to supply any instrument or drug for that purpose.
Abortion Act 1967 - permitted abortion on certain grounds. Until 1990, late abortions were limited by the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929. It was an offence to destroy a child capable of being born alive - recognising 28 weeks as prima facie evidence. Amendments by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 have substantially changed the law.
Abortions may take place only within the first 24 weeks, when two doctors agree "the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the women or any existing children of her family". Unfortunately, this is generally now interpreted as "abortion on demand".
Two exceptions to the 24 week limit were given where 'there is a substantial risk' of 'abnormalities' to the baby and 'to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman’ (this is very rare at present). On those clauses, MPs voted to allow abortion up to birth in NHS hospitals.
Medical staff that do not want to participate in an abortion do not have to do so.
Scotland
Under Common Law - before the 1967 Act came into operation - abortion was a serious crime whether procured by instruments, drugs or any violent method. It was recognised that abortion may be necessary when the mother's life or health was in danger.
During the 1960s, demand grew for legal clarification. The response was the 1967 Act (brought in by a Scottish MP), which applies to Scotland as it does to England and Wales.
There was no mention in the 1967 Act of an 'upper limit', nor does the 1929 Infant Life Preservation Act apply to Scotland. So there's never been an upper time limit, and it's been legal to abort a child under Scots law up until birth. In practice, Scottish doctors have taken a lead from England and Wales.
Northern Ireland
The Offences against the Person Act 1861 provides a strong prohibition on abortion. However, it's been liberally interpreted by judges, so that it's less effective in certain circumstances.
Later statutes don't apply to Northern Ireland. In 1949 Stormont passed a motion which reflects the principle of the 1929 Act - that a child 'capable of being born alive' shouldn't be aborted - 28 weeks being given as a guideline.
The most important declaration in recent years was the motion passed by 20 votes to 1 by Stormont in February 1984 that: 'this Assembly opposes the extension of the Abortion Act 1967, or any like legislation, to Northern Ireland'. That motion still stands.
Question a.ii what biblical and church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion.
Biblical quotations which can be used to support your arguments about abortion
As Christians, the bible is our guide to help us reach the right decisions. As Christians, the bible is our foundation for morality. Biblical quotations which can be used to support arguments about abortion are: Genesis 1:26-27, Exodus 20:13, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Psalm 139:13-14 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
Genesis 1:26-27
God said: “let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.” God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God, he created him, male and female he created them.
This bible reading tells us that we are all made in the image of God and therefore if we destroy a life we are destroying a part of God.
We should value life, as it is a gift from god, the gift of life is sacred-it is given by God and only God has the right to take it. It is God’s divine right to decide when life begins and ends. All life is precious and equal; we should give equal rights and chances of survival to all life, even before birth. This passage emphasises on the fact that abortion is wrong, abortion denies the divine right of God and destroys his creation of life, which is his gift to us.
Exodus 20:13
“Thou shall not kill”- one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. They present the fundamental principles of Christianity. Abortion is the deliberate killing of a new life, a life with no means of protection or defence. Therefore, as abortion is killing, it violates one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God.
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”. This quotation is concerned with showing that life in the womb is sacred and that God knows us intimately. The bible understands that life starts long before the baby is born.
Psalm 139:13
You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mothers womb. For so many marvels, I thank you: a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders.
The above passage tells us that God created each of us as unique individuals. He gave us our unique feelings and characters. Therefore, abortion denies each unique individual a chance to life, a never-to-be-repeated opportunity. Abortion is taking apart God’s creation in a physical and emotional way. It is a rejection of God’s love and his plans for us.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the spirit of God living in you? If anyone should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.
This passage shows us that each life is a gift from God and it carries God’s love, soul and spirit, so it can be seen as God’s temple-it is an example of his love for us.
All the references in this passage express how sacred human life is and how wrong it is to interfere with the wonderful gift of via abortion. Children are a sign of God’s love for us and his desire to see his kingdom grow.
Therefore, as you can see from my analysis of the following quotations the bible presents abortion as morally and religiously wrong.
Church teachings on abortion which can be used to support your arguments
Roman catholic
The Catholic Church teaches that deliberate procured abortion is a serious sin in all circumstances. In Catholic theology, human life is said to begin at the moment of conception. From that moment, it is sacred and everybody should try to protect it.
“Human life is sacred all men (and women) must recognise that fact.
Pope Paul VI Humane Vitae, 1968
The second Vatican council declared that “life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.”
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 51
The church’s teaching was explained more fully in the Declaration on Procured Abortion (1974)
The Declaration said three important things:
- It re-stated the traditional teaching of the church, and pointed out as well that everybody (not just Christians) should have proper respect for human life and human rights.
- It said that the movement for women’s rights is a good thing when it frees women from injustice, but that this cannot be made an excuse for abortion, which denies to another person the fundamental right to life.
- It explained that although abortion was the killing of an unborn child, the reasons why people ask for abortions are sometimes very serious: they are the product of many “sorrows and miseries”. The Declaration said that “every man and woman with feeling and certainly every Christian, must be ready to do what he can to remedy them.
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person-among, which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. Since the first century, the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994
If you do make a mistake, don’t destroy the life… because also to that child God says: ‘I have called you by your name, I have carved you in the palm of my hand; you are mine’
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
“I declare that direct abortion always constitutes a grave moral disorder, an act which is intrinsically illicit” Pope John Paul II
“I confirm that the direct, voluntary killing of an innocent human being Is gravely immoral” Papal Encyclical-Evangelium vitae/Gospel of Life (1995)
Catholics hold views about how unique and sacred life is and that it is a gift from God that we should respect because of sanctity of life
The Roman Catholic Church is the only major world religion that condemns abortion in all circumstances.
There are occasions however when an operation carried out for curing a life threatening disease might kill an unborn child. The church teaches that these are permissible and necessary.
Traditional Christian teaching places the highest value on human life, and therefore condemns abortion. One of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament is called the DIDACHE and it says:
“You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb and you shall not murder the infant already born”
The Church of England
The Anglican view on abortion is that although the foetus is to be specially respected and protected, nonetheless the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct if it endangers the life of its mother
Church of England. Human fertilization and embryology 1984
The Church of England have a certain criteria regarding the acceptability of abortion:
- Abortion should take place early
- The mother must seriously consider her actions and the implications
- Where handicap is a reason, this is only justified if the child is likely to die at birth or shortly after
“I am not an absolutist. I recognise that there are situations where abortion is right.”
(Right Reverend Hugh Montefiore-The Independent 26 January 1987)
Protestant churches
The view of the Protestant churches is generally undesirable, but that it may be acceptable in some circumstances. It is not always clear what these circumstances might be, and perhaps for this reason a minority Protestant group (‘Christians for Free Choice’) campaigns for greater emphasis on what they see as a woman’s right to make the decision to have an abortion. However, some Evangelical Christians, basing their views on the Bible are firmly opposed to abortion.
The Church of Scotland
The Board of Social Responsibility in 1987 came to the conclusion that: “abortion has no moral justification and represents the unwarranted destruction of human life that is made in the image of God” but it was careful to say that this was only in “the great majority of cases”
Methodist church
Circumstances that may often justify an abortion are direct threats to the life or health of the mother, or the probable birth of a severely abnormal child. The woman’s environment should be considered, including children for whom she is already responsible and offensive social conditions of bad housing and family poverty
Methodist statement, 1980
Free churches
These include Baptists, Methodists and Evangelists etc. They believe that abortion is ultimately the choice of the individual, yet it is still only a last resort. Methodists believe that personal and social factors need to be considered e.g. teenage pregnancy.
Many women go against their religion and have abortions. A poll carried out in 1988 asked “do you think that women should have the right to choose abortion in the first few months of pregnancy?”
Of those surveyed 86% of Church of England and 67% of Catholics agreed and 85% of those of no religion also agreed.
Question b explain how Christians might put their beliefs about abortion into practice
Christians believe that God is the giver of life and therefore only he has the right to end life. Human life is sacred and has to be respected. If you were to ask all the practising Christians from all the denominations in a large town today what they thought about abortion, you would probably find a variety of positions on abortion here are three possible reasons:
- Christians are often influenced by the society around them as well as by their faith
- There has been an increasing feminist influence in American and Western European Christianity since the 1960’s
- Some Christian denominations today do not give a clear teaching on abortion
The Roman Catholic Church believes that life begins at the moment of conception so abortion is considered as murder. The view of other Christian churches is that abortion is generally undesirable, but it may be acceptable in some circumstances. However, they do not believe that abortion should ever be seen as a method of birth control.
I feel the response to a woman that had an abortion is understanding and forgiveness because although she has committed a sin she had her reasons and it was a tough decision to make she realises it was a bad thing to do and has turned back to the church. Whenever we do, something wrong God is always there to support and guide us as well as forgive and understand our reasons for doing what we have done. God will never turn his back on us as we are all his children and we are all made in the image and likeness of God.
The first Christian response is prayer so I also think that the church will pray for her and ask for forgiveness from God for her and I feel the priest will also be there to support the woman. The first Christian response is always prayer so I feel the church will pray for her forgiveness and pray that she is able to live her life as best as possible.
Christian organisations that campaign against abortion are LIFE and SPUC (The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children)
They say things like:
- A foetus is a human life therefore abortion is murder
- We are all handicapped in one way or another
- Every human person is made in God’s image
LIFE concentrates its efforts on providing counselling and support for women who are pregnant or who think they might be. This is often done through parish groups.
SPUC campaigns heavily for changes to the law by lobbying politicians, raising petitions and activity in political parties and trade unions. Both SPUC and LIFE provide educational material for use in schools and churches.
“Since human life begins at conception, i.e. fertilization and since all human life should be equally protected by the law from conception to natural death, whether or not the human being concerned is wanted or handicapped, it follows that the destruction of unborn life is always wrong”
LIFE campaign
In their course of duties Christian doctors and nurses, will experience and face problems and difficulties. It is their duty to carry out a patients wish to have an abortion but their views on the issue will have an affect on the way the work with the patient, as abortion is something they do not believe in and something that they think is morally and ethically wrong.
A vicar, priest or minister will say to a woman who is contemplating or has had an abortion the following type of things:
If she is contemplating having an abortion:
- Is she sure with her decision
- Is she being forced
- Is it really for the best
- Her reasons for considering an abortion
- What will life be like if she was to keep the baby
- Will she be mentally and physically fit after
- What will life be like after having the abortion
- Ensure she knows all her options e.g. adoption and fostering
If she has had an abortion
- Re-assure her that God has not turned his back on her
- Tell her that God will forgive her for her sins as she has shown she is sorry for what she done even if she was sure it was for the best
In my opinion, there is a big difference between condemning the sin and condemning the sinner. To condemn these sin is to criticise and disapprove of the idea of abortion but to condemn the sinner is to be against the person.
Earlier I discussed groups that campaign against abortion but there are also groups that are for abortion and they say things like:
- The foetus is not yet a human life
- It’s a woman’s right to choose
- A handicapped child can be a burden
The two most important of these in Britain are:
The National Abortion Campaign and the abortion rights action league
Both of these groups provide educational material designed to inform women about the options available to them under the law. They also attempt to influence politicians by lobbying MPs and by activity aimed at the political parties, trade unions and other groups.
“The decision to terminate a pregnancy is so important that it can only be made by the person most involved-the woman. Women must always have a choice and never have the decision forced on them. Free abortion facilities should be available on the NHS for every woman who needs them. We believe that the right of women to control their own fertility is a fundamental human right. Women will only be able to take a full and equal part in society when we can all decide for ourselves whether and when to have children”.
Question c “abortion is never justified” do you agree or disagree?
In my opinion, abortion is both right and wrong.
I think abortion is wrong (I agree with the statement) because it is discrimination of the weak and vulnerable and abortion causes psychological, physical and emotional problems. The methods of abortion carry risks of infection and future miscarriages. There are alternatives to abortion such as adoption and fostering. I fee that abortion should be allowed in certain circumstances e.g. unplanned teenage pregnancy, rape and handicapped babies as these circumstances are not fair on the mother and baby. In cases of teenage pregnancy, the mother will not be able to provide properly for her child and therefore the child will suffer. The mother may not want the baby and it is unfair to bring an unwanted child in to the world as you will not love and care for them as much as you should because you didn’t want them in the first place. In cases of rape, the baby will be a constant reminder of the mothers terrible ordeal and she may find it hard to bond with her child. By keeping the baby it will be a constant reminder and it will also not be fair on the child to know that your father raped your mother and that s how they was conceived and that they weren’t conceived out of love. Financial problems are also a factor because if you cannot afford to bring up a baby it is unfair on the child, as they will suffer ion the long run. In certain cases I do not feel that if there was more help available less people would have abortions because a rape victim may not want to keep the child regardless of how much help there was on offer.
Opinions vary when life actually starts some people believe it is during or after conception some believe it is when the heart beats for the first time some believe its is during the pregnancy and some believe it is when the baby is actually fully grown and born. I do not feel that people are aware of groups like SPUC and LIFE and the help they can offer as they are not promoted and advertised enough.
On the other hand, I disagree with statement, as it is the right of the mother to choose and the viability of life-50-70% of all conceptions end I early miscarriage.
Psychological, physical and emotional problems are also an issue. Danger to the heath of the woman, special problems associated with teenage pregnancy, large families and poverty.
Although there are alternatives to abortion, e.g. adoption the adoption process is linked with emotional problems and when the child is ready to find its mother there will be a lot of emotional upheaval, she may have a new family now, and the child will have grown to love its adoptive parents as their real biological parents.
To conclude the decision to have an abortion is never easy and no one is better suited than the woman concerned to make that decision. Everyone has the right to take control of their fertility, as no method of contraception is 100% safe women still need abortion. As opinions differ when life begins, the minority have no right to impose their views on the rest of us and a foetus is only a “potential” human life. Doctors have no special moral or ethical training, which make them fitter than the mother to make these sorts of decision. There will always be women who don’t wan t children and we should respect their choice. Abortion has always existed in some form whether it is legal, safe and dignified or illegal, unsafe and furtive. Every child has the right to be wanted and loved and abortion saves thousands of children from being unwanted and saves society from many problems. It is also more trauma to give up a child for adoption than it is to have an abortion. If abortion were made illegal many woman would still risk their lives and health in back street abortion clinics. Also if a woman is raped and abortion is a practical and humane way of helping her.
Modern science proves that the unborn child is a separate human being from conception. By allowing abortion, it is allowing society to take the easy way out and it should concentrate on improving the quality of life in society. Even in the womb, the unborn child has the right not to be killed. People with the most awful handicaps can go on to lead happy, creative and fulfilled lives. Unborn babies are unique and have potential personalities and every aborted foetus was a potential human being. Abortions can go wrong and they can leave mental and physical “scars” on a woman. If society did more in the way of contraception before conception and education and helped single mothers by providing counselling and places where they could seek advice, abortion would not be necessary. Killing is killing whether done in back streets or openly.
So as you can see my opinion varies on abortion depending on the circumstances as I feel it should be permitted in certain cases and I feel the circumstances should able considered seriously. If a person is having an abortion just because they feel like it is WRONG but if they are too young, struggling financially etc they have a respectable reason and therefore I think that abortion should be allowed, as they are doing it because they need to not for the sake of it.