Abortion- what is it?
Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of a fetus from the mother's uterus.
how are abortions preformed?
Below you will find information on how and when the different methods of abortion are preformed. Thank you to TeenBreaks.Com for the following information.
To view the current abortion laws by state (what types of abortions are legal there and when they can be preformed) visit: Abortion Laws By State.
- RU486 and Methotrexate - preformed between the 5th-9th weeks of pregnancy. These are abortion drugs taken orally by the mother. When taken with another drug called prostaglandin, they are 90 to 95% effective in causing an abortion. RU486 works by preventing nutrients from reaching the baby through the placenta, thus causing starvation within a few days. Methotrexate works within the same time frame but directly poisons the baby, causing his or her death. The prostaglandin drug is used to cause hard labor, thus dispelling the shriveled body of the dead baby.
- Suction Aspiration Abortion - preformed during first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is the most frequently used method of abortion, accounting for about 90% of abortions. It is done in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The mother is given a general or local anesthetic. The cervical muscle (womb opening) is stretched open. A hollow plastic tube with a knife-like edge on the tip is inserted into the womb. The suction machine (about 30 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner) is then turned on and begins to suck out the contents of the womb. Because the baby's bones have not hardened yet, pieces of the body are sucked into the jar. The placenta (afterbirth) is then scraped from the walls of the womb and sucked out as well, thus completing the abortion procedure. This is sometimes called a menstrual extraction abortion if done in the very early weeks of pregnancy. CAUTION: The photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of suction aspiration abortion.
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C) Abortion - preformed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is similar to the suction abortion except a loop-shaped knife (curette) is used instead of the suction tube. The baby and placenta are cut into pieces and scraped out into a basin.CAUTION: The photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of dilation and curettage abortion.
- Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) Abortion - preformed during the first 18 weeks of pregnancy. Similar to the D&C, the dilation and evacuation procedure is used later in pregnancy after the baby's bones have hardened. A pliers-like instrument with knife edged teeth is inserted into the womb and a piece of the body is seized, twisted off, and removed. This procedure is repeated removing feet, hands, arms, etc., until the baby is entirely dismembered. If the head is large, it is crushed prior to removal. The placenta is also cut away and removed. The body parts are then reassembled to be sure nothing is left in the womb to cause infection. CAUTION: Photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of dilation and evacuation abortion.
- Salt Poisoning Abortion (saline amniocentesis) - preformed after 4 months of pregnancy. Although used infrequently now due to danger to the mother, salt poisoning was once the most common method used for late abortions. A large needle is inserted through the mother's abdomen and into the womb. A concentrated salt solution is injected into the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. The baby breathes and swallows the salt solution, is slowly poisoned as it burns away the outer layers of the skin, and dies. The mother then goes into labor and expels the baby within 24 to 48 hours. CAUTION: Photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of salt poisoning abortion.
- Prostaglandin Abortion - preformed between the 4th and 6th months of pregnancy. The drug prostaglandin was previously used in the later months of pregnancy to cause a violent premature labor of a baby too young to survive. However, it was dangerous to the mother and sometimes resulted in the "complication" of delivering a live premature baby. Because of these problems this method has mostly been replaced by the D&E method which is guaranteed to result in the death of the baby. Prostaglandin is now used primarily in combination with RU486 and methotrexate. CAUTION: Photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of prostaglandin abortion.
- Hysterotomy Abortion - performed between the 4th and 9th months of pregnancy. A hysterotomy abortion is similar to a Cesarean section live birth, except the desired result is different. With a C-section, the intent is to deliver a live baby, preventing danger to the mother and baby in a difficult birth. With a hysterotomy, the intent is to deliver a dead baby. However, because the baby is alive at the time of the procedure, there was a constant complication of having this abortion procedure deliver a live baby, which then had to expire by some other means. The baby was often smothered or drowned in a bucket of water. However, these practices are now prohibited by a court decision. Consequently, hysterotomy abortions have mostly been replaced by the newer method of partial birth (brain suction) abortion, which cannot possibly result in a surviving baby. CAUTION: Photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of hysterotomy abortion.
- Partial Birth (brain suction) Abortion - performed between the 4th and 9th months of pregnancy. Most partial birth abortions are performed in the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy. After dilating the cervical muscle over a two-day period, the abortionist reaches into the womb and grasps the legs of the baby. Similar to breech delivery (feet first) of a wanted child, the baby is pulled entirely out of the birth canal, with the exception of the head. Since the baby is clearly alive and moving, while the head remains inside, scissors are jammed into the base of the skull, and the blades are separated. A tube is then inserted, and the brain is sucked out. The now dead infant is pulled the rest of the way out, and the abortion is complete. CAUTION: Photos of these abortions are graphic. DO NOT view them if you do not feel that you are prepared to view the graphic details. Photo of partial birth abortion.
To view the current abortion laws by state (what types of abortions are legal there and when they can be preformed) visit: Abortion Laws By State.