Just so you know about..

abortion

Abortion is the deliberately or spontaneous (miscarriage) ending of a pregnancy. When we hear the term abortion nowadays, it almost exclusively refers to the deliberate ending of a pregnancy. Abortion in Great Britain (NOT Northern Ireland) was decriminalised in 1967, following the implementation of the then MP David Steel's Private Member's Bill in the House of Commons.

LIFE BEFORE BIRTH
From the moment of conception, the early embryo is alive. It is human. The physical characteristics of that human being are already decided - colour of eyes and hair, even the height and build to which the woman or man will eventually grow. Between days 6 and 12, the embryo becomes implanted in the womb.
By days 24-28, the head is distinct, and the early eyes, liver, brain, pancreas, lungs and kidneys are present. The heart is beating, and nutrition and oxygen are taken from the mother through the umbilical cord. Even so, the developing child has her own, completely separate, blood supply - often with a different blood group from her mother. By about day 33, ear development has begun, nostrils are present, and limbs are beginning to take shape. By about day 44, fingers and toes are distinct, the external ear is well advanced, and eyelids are beginning to cover the eyes. By ten weeks into the pregnancy, the human fetus (a term which comes from the Latin, to mean "Little One") is complete. Growth is now the only thing that happens until the time of birth.
Most abortions take place at about 11 weeks of pregnancy, when the outline and features of a human baby are complete. To the eye, he or she is unmistakably a human baby at this stage. All organs are functioning - the stomach, kidneys, liver and brain - and she will swallow, digest and urinate. Amazing movements are possible, and with the use of ultrasound it is possible to watch a child turning somersaults in the womb to find the most comfortable position for him/herself.

WHEN IS ABORTION LEGAL IN THE UK?
An abortion can be legally obtained in the UK (except Northern Ireland, where the Abortion Act is not in force) if a pregnancy has not exceeded 24 weeks. If there is a suspicion that the child might be born handicapped, an abortion is legal until the moment of birth.

IS ABORTION AN ETHICAL ISSUE?
The ethics of healthcare professionals, as well as those of society as a whole, are called into question by the practice of abortion. When society allows healthcare professionals to kill a creature which has every appearance of being a human baby, it makes a serious statement about the value of human life.

HOW IS AN ABORTION PERFORMED?
Abortions are carried out by dismembering, poisoning, and/or the premature expulsion of the fetus from the womb. There are five main methods, all of which involve physical risks for the woman and the possibility of serious psychological harm which can last for years, if not for life.

1. Suction method
This is most common form of abortion. This is performed to abort babies up to around the 12th week of pregnancy. First of all, the neck of the womb has to be dilated (opened up) using a catheter. When there is a hole big enough, a vacuum pump is then inserted into the womb, with suction power of about 25 times that of a domestic vacuum cleaner. The fetus is then dismembered and the pieces are sucked through the tube into a bottle. There is a risk of the womb being perforated with this method of abortion.

2. Dilation & curettage method
For this type of abortion, dilation is also needed, and after an opening is created and forceps used to keep it open, a loop-shaped steel knife called a curette is inserted into the womb cavity. The abortionist then cuts the fetus into sections with this instrument, and scrapes the remains into a container. There can be considerable bleeding with this method of abortion. After the operation, a nurse will check that all the parts of the fetus' body have been removed from the womb. An incomplete abortion could result in a haemorrhage, sepsis or the loss, or premature delivery, of any subsequent pregnancy.

3. Saline method
At 16 weeks or over, this method of abortion involves the removal of the amniotic fluid which surrounds the fetus in the womb, and its replacement with a strong salt solution. The fetus can take more than an hour to die with this method of abortion, and after about 24 hours the woman goes into labour and delivers a dead baby. This method of abortion is now rarely used in Britain because of the risks of injecting a fatal dose of salt into the body, but it is still widely used in other European countries and in America. With this form of abortion, there is a risk of haemorrhage, infection and the retention of the placenta, which then has to be surgically removed.

4. Prostaglandin method
This is another way of terminating a later pregnancy, and was originally licensed for a pregnancy of between three and six months. The drug Prostaglandin can be given like saline, straight into the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby, intramuscularly, or as a vaginal pessary. The drug encourages an early delivery of the fetus by causing contractions. A significant number of abortions carried out by the use of Prostaglandin result in live births. Consequently, in more recent years, doctors have added a poison to the drug to ensure that the fetus is delivered dead. The complications for this method of abortion are similar to those of saline abortion.

5. Surgical method
In surgical abortions, a fetus is removed in a way identical to that of a Caesarean section, the only difference being that for an abortion, the fetus is given a sufficient anaesthetic to ensure that it is born dead. If it is born alive, the fetus is placed to one side and allowed to die. Peritonitis is a possibility with this form of abortion, and it is possible that in future pregnancies the woman's scar will rupture. There is also an increased risk of thrombosis and of having a pulmonary embolism with this method of abortion.

HOW MANY ABORTIONS TAKE PLACE IN BRITAIN?
Since the implementation of the Abortion Act in 1967, there have been about six million abortions in Britain. There are about 600 abortions carried out every working day in this country (abortionists work at weekends, too), and the number is increasing every year. Abortion is not cheap. According to figures published by Marie Stopes International, an initial consultation fee will be about £50, while an abortion can cost between about £400 and £750.
Most private abortion providers accept credit cards.


RIGHT TO LIFE
PO Box 26264
London
W3 9WF
Tel: 020 8992 7657
Fax: 020 8896 1859


Chairman: Ken Hargreaves ACIS FFA
Campaign Director: Phyllis Bowman DSG