abortion
...United States allows this procedure for up to seven weeks after conception, but it has been approved for up to nine weeks or more in other countries. Separate 2nd term and third term abortions Late term abortion, abortion in the third tri-mester, is the subject of heavy criticism. The most common reason for a late term abortion is to save the mother's life. Some others either did not know they were pregnant, had trouble arranging for or funding for an abortion, or were afraid to tell their partner/parents. Only 7% of late-term abortions are because the mother had a hard time coming to a decision (www.ama-assn.com page 3). Abortions early in the second semester are usually performed using a method called Dilation and Evacuation. This is similar to vacuum aspiration except that the cervix must be dilated more widely because bigger tissue is to be extracted. A local anesthesia such as a paracervical block is applied. The cervix is dilated to a little more than one centimeter to allow the syringe to be inserted through to the uterus to remove fetal and placental tissue. A curette is then used to scrape remaining tissue from the uterine wall. Several different options are available at 16 weeks such as Dilation and Evacuation, Dilation and Extraction, hysterotomy, hysterectomy, and labor induction (www.ama-assn.com page 3). Dilation and Extraction requires dilation of the cervix for a few days. The fetus is converted to a foot long breech that is then extracted as a dead fetus. One big advantage of Dilation and Extraction is that it minimizes trauma to the uterus and cervix. Hysterotomy and hysterectomy are both extreme measures and are very uncommon. A hysterotomy is the delivery of the fetus through an incision in the stomach. When the pregnancy is brought to full term, a similar operation called a Cesarean-section may sometimes be required. A hysterectomy, removal of the uterus, is performed when required. This procedure, of course, eliminates any future possibility of pregnancy and is more than just a means of abortion. Third trimester abortions were once performed through labor induction. This has since been ruled inhumane because the infant was sometimes born barely alive! though doctors will try to keep it alive. Late-term abortions are more complicated and tend to have more risks associated with them. It is recommended that abortions be performed as soon as possible. Abortion has been debated in the courts, resulting in two significant court decisions. On January 22, 1973, a very controversial Supreme Court decision was made that struck down the states' ability to prohibit an abortion during the first trimester. A pregnant, single woman, Ms. Roe, brought suit against the constitutionality of Texas Criminal Abortion Laws. These laws allowed an abortion only if it was to save the mother's life. It was ruled that an abortion was a private matter and protected by the 9th and 15th Amendment rights. Just one year following this decision, the maternal-mortality rate dropped 45% (www.theatlantic.com). In the years 1946-1972, anywhere form 11 to 34 million abortions were performed which resulted in 7000 reported deaths. We acknowledge that no accurate and comprehensive records were kept. The total number of deaths could very well triple the number reported (www.prochoice.org). In the years 1973-1999 after the Roe vs. Wade decision, about 3! 4 million abortions were performed resulting in fewer than 500 deaths. A large portion of these deaths were from illegal abortions performed in states who would not comply with the Supreme Court ( ).The facts show that while abortion was illegal, the attempt to save some fetuses only killed women. Besides the many physical lives that were saved were hopes, dreams, plans for the future, and dignity as well. Another controversial court decision was made in 1976 when the Supreme Court ruled that no public money, such as Medicaid, would go toward abortion fees. Criticisms for this ridiculous law are backed by research. The Alan Guttenmacher Institute proved that every dollar spent toward an abortion would save at least four more in medical and welfare expenses. This would save hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding (www.ama-assn.com page 4). Howard I. Shapiro, MD, states, "It is ironic that those who speak most vociferously about 'all those welfare mothers' are o! ften the same individuals who oppose public funding (173)." By not providing low-cost abortions for those most in financial need, we are pushing them further into poverty. This law does no good. Many anti-choice advocates believe they are against abortion for religious reasons. The Christian Bible never tackles the subject of abortion, which is surprising because the New Testament was written during a time that abortion was widely practice. In fact, the Assyrians have laws regarding self-induced abortions that date back to the 12th century BC. The biggest debate concerning why/why not abortions should be legal is: "When does personhood begin?" The Christian Bible does have a few quotes concerning this question. God created Adam's body out of the dust of the earth. Only after He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [that] man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7). This implies that the fetus becomes a person only after taking its first breath. The most important word to describe a human in the Greek Scriptures is "nemphesh" which was translated to "living soul" in the above passage. According to Hans Walter Wolff, the word's root means "to breath" (14! ). A living soul is a breathing soul. Leviticus 27:6 states, " . . . from a month old unto five years old, Thy estimation shall be of the male five sheckles of silver and unto the female three sheckles." A child less than one month of age was not given value and therefore not counted as human. The "delayed ensoulment" belief of Aristotle (384-322BC) taught that a fetus was a vegetable soul until it became "animated" at about 90 days from conception. A human soul was not destroyed so long as it took place in roughly the first trimester. This is surprisingly close to the time at which the Supreme Court will allow states to begin restricting abortions. St. Augustine wrote around 400AD that "A human soul cannot live in an unformed body." Thus, abortion is not killing a human unless it has developed a body of its own. We have no way of knowing exactly what was meant by these original authors, so we can only speculate. A soul is an immeasurable idea. It bears no weight, has no mass, and cannot be seen. Many religions believe the concept of a soul, but this concept cannot be proved by science. Different people believe different stages in the pregnancy signify that the fetus is a baby. Most anti-choice advocates believe it is at conception and that the fetus may not be aborted at any time in the pregnancy. Some believe that a very early abortion is acceptable as long as it is before the zygote attaches itself to the uterine lining, at about 12 days. At two weeks a yellow streak develops which will eventually be the neural tube. The fetus is now defined as one separate entity and will not separate into twins. At four weeks the heart first begins to beat. Around six weeks brain waves can be detected. At two months the face begins to resemble that of a primate. The point where abortions may be regulated is at six months, when the fetus begins to "look like" a baby. The fetus becomes viable (able to live outside of the womb) at the end of the second trimester or 24 weeks. Abortions are not done after this point unless the mother's life is in danger. The final! point, when the fetus was considered a child in ancient times, is at birth, when he/she takes his/her first breath. Many arguments of anti-choice groups are hypocritical, ignorant, invalid, or completely false. One argument is, "The right to life must be protected by banning abortions." The truth is, laws have never stopped abortions,...