By abortion, physicians mean the deliberate termination of an existing pregnancy. This results in the death of the unborn embryo, which is why the procedure remains controversial. Abortions, also called abortion or abortion, can be done for health or personal reasons.
What is an abortion?
By an abortion, medical professionals mean the intentional termination of an existing pregnancy. An abortion describes the premature and especially intentional termination of a pregnancy. The decision to perform an abortion can be either for health or personal reasons. If the pregnancy is not wanted (for example, due to personal circumstances or after rape) or if it poses a threat to the health and life of the mother, she may decide to have an abortion. In this case, the embryo is removed from the body so that no further growth can occur. The embryo dies during this procedure and is then medically “disposed of.” Legally, abortion is punishable by law; however, there are numerous exceptions.
Function, use, and goals
The goal of an abortion, as the name implies, is to end a pregnancy. This happens when the expectant mother does not want to give birth to the child for personal reasons or is unable to do so for health reasons. Abortion takes place in a clinic and is performed by trained medical professionals. To end the pregnancy, there are different procedures that can be used. Since abortions may only be performed up to the 12th week of pregnancy and the embryo is not yet viable on its own at this point, they are usually quite minor procedures. One abortion method that is used very frequently is suction. In this procedure, a tube is inserted into the uterus through which the embryo is aspirated. The complication rate for this procedure is rather low, as are the physical after-effects for the patient. If larger pieces of tissue need to be removed as part of the abortion, a so-called curettage is performed (this can also be done in addition to the suction). In addition to the surgical methods of ending a pregnancy, abortions can also be performed with medication. By taking the so-called “abortion pill”, the embryo is rejected by the body and expelled through moderate to heavy bleeding. However, taking this medication is only allowed up to the ninth week of pregnancy. The process is always monitored by the attending physician. In some cases, a surgical procedure is still necessary afterwards to remove any tissue remnants from the uterus. If a so-called late abortion takes place after the 12th week (for example, if the child would not be viable due to an illness or disability), this can also be performed with medication. As a result, a miscarriage or stillbirth occurs. Additionally, to prevent a live birth, the fetus can be killed while still in the womb.
Risks and dangers
Apart from the fact that abortion remains legally and ethically (in some cases also religiously) controversial, it can cause great physical and psychological stress for the patient concerned. With procedures such as suction, the physical pain is kept within limits, and in most cases there are no complications with a professionally performed abortion. In countries where abortions are forbidden and are therefore carried out secretly, even by unqualified personnel, there is a significantly higher incidence of damage, some of it severe, which can even endanger the life of the patient. However, the later the abortion takes place, the higher the risk of suffering consequential damage, such as so-called cervical weakness, even with a professionally performed procedure. In addition, the probability of suffering a premature birth after an abortion in the event of a new pregnancy is statistically higher. If complications occur during an abortion, the patient’s fertility may also suffer under certain circumstances.Just as important as the physical stresses are the psychological after-effects that often follow an abortion. These occur particularly strongly if the woman concerned encounters incomprehension or rejection in her social environment because of her decision.
