Abortion

Abortion

The Case Against Abortion

Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy before birth. An abortion results in the death of the embryo or fetus and may be either spontaneous or induced. In a spontane­ous abortion, also called a miscarriage, the fetus passes from the woman's body. Many spontaneous abortions result from natural causes. In an induced abortion, the fetus is removed by artificial—usually medical—means. For information on spontaneous abortion, see Miscar­riage.

For years, abortion has been an extremely controver­sial subject. One important aspect of the controversy is whether a woman should be permitted by law to have an abortion and, if so, under what circumstances. An­other is whether, and to what extent, laws should pro­tect the unborn. People who wish to legally limit or for­bid abortions describe themselves as "pro-life." Those who believe that a woman should have the right to have an abortion may refer to themselves as "pro-choice."

Arguments against abortion are based on the be­lief that an abortion is the unjustified killing of an un­born child. Most people who oppose abortion believe that human life begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg. Another argument against abortion is that laws allowing it on demand will increase irresponsible pregnancies and lead to disrespect for human life. The Roman Catho­lic Church is a chief opponent of abortion. Conservative branches of other religions also oppose abortion.

Arguments for abortion. Many people approve of abortion under certain circumstances. Some approve of abortion if a woman's life or health is endangered by her pregnancy. Others recommend abortion when there is danger that the child will be born with a serious mental or physical defect. They also approve of abortion when pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest.

Many people who think that a woman should have the right to choose to have an abortion distinguish be­tween human life and personhood. They argue that per- sonhood implies both the capacity for self-conscious thought and acceptance as a member of a social com­munity. These people believe a fetus is not a person and is thus not entitled to rights normally given to a person. Such pro-choice supporters agree with the view that birth represents the beginning of personhood.

Another pro-choice argument is that legalizing abor­tions has eliminated many illegal abortions performed by unskilled practitioners under unsanitary conditions. These abortions often caused deaths and permanent re­productive injuries. Abortion on demand also prevents many unwanted births and may thus be a factor in low­ering infant and child abuse, neglect, and death rates. Also, some argue that women should not have to bear unwanted children in a world of growing population and diminishing natural resources.

Abortion history. Abortion has been widely known, practised, and debated since ancient times. The ancient Hebrews had laws against abortion, but they permitted it in cases where the mother's life was at risk.

The early Christian church generally opposed abor­tion. For hundreds of years, however, a debate raged in the church on whether abortion might be justifiable be­fore animation. Christian theologians defined animation as the point at which a fetus received a soul. According to church teachings, animation occurred between 40 to 80 days after conception. From about the 1300's to the 1800's, abortion before animation became a generally accepted practice in Europe, if the pregnancy endan­gered the life of the mother. If an abortion was per­formed before animation for a less serious reason, many theologians considered it wrong but not homicide.

In 1869, Pope Pius IX condemned abortion from the moment of conception, but some Catholic theologians continued to teach that abortions performed to save the mother were morally acceptable. In 1895, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed that abortion is never justi­fiable. Today, the Catholic church condemns all forms of direct abortion—that is, the intentional termination of pregnancy. Current Catholic teaching permits indirect abortion, in which the fetus is lost as a side effect of medical treatment to save the mother's life.

Abortion laws vary from country to country. In Rus­sia, where abortion has been legal since 1920, it is al­lowed up to about the fourth month of pregnancy, purely on request, and is commonly used as a method of birth control. Japan also follows this system. In other places, such as the Scandinavian countries or the United Kingdom (where abortion has been allowed since 1967) there must be medical reasons. In the United Kingdom it must be shown that continuing the pregnancy would endanger the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or her existing children. This law can be widely interpreted, so that doctors will recommend abortions where, on balance, a woman would be better off having an abortion rather than a baby. The limit for carrying out an abortion is up to the 28th week of pregnancy.

In Australia the laws vary from state to state. On the whole, the law is similar to that in the United Kingdom. But the Northern Territory restricts abortion to the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. In India abortion is legal, al­though there is some opposition from organizations representing the Christian minority. The government has incorporated abortion into its family planning pro­gramme, as part of its efforts to reduce the size of the population. Likewise in China and Singapore, abortion is available on request.

In some countries, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, abortion is only allowed when preg­nancy threatens the mother's life. South Africa, New Zea­land and Hong Kong allow abortion when the fetus is severely damaged. In the Republic of Ireland, the opera­tion may only be performed when either the mother's or baby's life is in danger. Both have an equal right to life.

In 1992, the Irish Supreme court reached a decision al­lowing a rape victim to travel abroad for an abortion. A referendum in 1992 rejected a government amendment permitting abortion in the Republic. Some pro­abortionists argue that the legal time limit should be re­duced. Medical advances mean it is now possible to keep alive babies born as early as 23 or 24 weeks. Con­sequently many authorities believe the limit should be set earlier, perhaps at 22 weeks. Another reason to re­strict abortion has become evident in Russia and some other Eastern European countries where the birth rate has fallen because of the availability of abortion on de­mand. As a result, the governments of some of these countries have made it more difficult to obtain an abor­tion.

Wherever abortion is allowed it must be carried out under strict medical supervision. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, two doctors must agree on the need for an abortion before it can be performed.

Abortion methods. A doctor may perform an abortion in several ways. During the first trimester (three months) of pregnancy, the most common method is suction curettage, or vacuum aspiration. This method involves removing the fetus by suction with a vacuum aspirator, followed by probing or scraping the uterus with surgical instruments called curettes.

Abortion can also be caused during the first trimester by a drug called mifepristone or RU-486. The drug is administered as a pill. It first became commercially available in 1988 and has been used in several countries, including France and the United Kingdom. It works by blocking the action of progesterone, a chemical that is produced by the mother's body and prepares the lining of the uterus to receive and nourish the embryo.

During the second trimester of pregnancy, many doctors use a method called dilation and evacuation, or simply D and £ In this method, the fetus is dismembered in the uterus and then removed. Another method involves injecting a salt solution into the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus. The solution kills the fetus and causes it to pass from the woman's body. A second-trimeter abortion also may be performed by injecting prostaglandin drugs into the amniotic fluid. The drugs cause muscle contractions that expel the fetus.