Abortion is defined as the termination of a pregnancy. This can be a voluntary or involuntary process. An involuntary abortion is often referred to as a miscarriage, in which a fetus is prematurely expulsed from the womb. The term abortion is typically used in reference to a voluntary and deliberate termination. In either case of termination, the fetus is not carried to full term. There are a variety of reasons for which a female would undergo an abortion. Person conflicts are the leading reason for why women have voluntary abortions.
The most widely common justification women use for having an abortion is that they are unprepared to care for the child. Often times a woman may feel as though she is not financially stable enough at the time to support, as it is no cheap task. Another reason many women endure an abortion is so that their education or career plans are not interrupted by childbirth. An unstable relationship may influence a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Some may feel as though they are not mature enough to take on the responsibility of looking after a child.
All of these are reasoning pressure a woman into making the choice on whether to have a child or not. Health is another cause of abortion. A woman may choose to have an abortion voluntarily if the fetus is unhealthy, or she herself is not healthy. Bearing a child on harmful grounds can lead to death of the woman and of the fetus, so sometimes it is best to abort the fetus to save the mother’s life. In regards to a miscarriage, bad health can cause a woman’s body to reject the fetus and expel it.
If the body feels threatened by the foreign life form it will cause a termination of the pregnancy. An abortion is executed through an assortment of two main methods, medical and surgical. Which method used is largely based upon the size of the unborn child and stage of pregnancy. Medical abortions are non-surgical abortions in which drugs are used to induce the termination of a pregnancy. This method is more effective within the early stages of pregnancy. Most medical abortion pills work by blocking necessary hormones like progesterone, which is key to carrying out the pregnancy.
Without the hormone the uterus lining breaks down, and afterwards another pill is taken to cause the uterus to contract and expel the fetus. There are a variety of surgical abortions. The list includes suction aspiration, dilation ; curettage, and dilation ; evacuation. In a suction aspiration, the most common form of abortion, the fetus and placenta is suctioned out by a machine. A dilation ; curettage is the same as suction aspiration, except curettage is introduced into the abortion process for a final scraping of the uterus.
A dilation ; evacuation is when a synthetic dilator is placed inside the uterus. The device then proceeds to pull the fetus and placenta away from the uterine wall. Medical abortions are typically chosen, as they provide a sense of privacy since the procedures can be carried out at home. It also can be done earlier in a pregnancy, and without anesthesia as with a surgical abortion. Abortion is a very controversial topic, with individuals who are strongly for and against it being a lawful act. Currently, it is legal in most areas.