ABORTION

Concept
Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo before it can survive
outside the uterus. An abortion which occurs spontaneously is also known as a miscarriage.
An abortion may be caused purposely and is then called an induced abortion, or less
frequently, "induced miscarriage".
Origins
Since ancient times abortions have been done using herbal medicines, sharp tools, with
force, or through other traditional methods. Induced abortion has long history, and can be
traced back to civilizations as varied as China under Shennong (c. 2700 BCE), Ancient
Egypt with its Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE), and the Roman Empire in the time of Juvenal
(c. 200 CE). There is evidence to suggest that pregnancies were terminated through a
number of methods, including the administration of abortifacient herbs, the use of
sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other techniques.
In Christianity, Pope Sixtus V (158590) was the first Pope to declare that abortion is
homicide regardless of the stage of pregnancy; the Catholic Church had previously been
divided on whether it believed that abortion was murder, and did not begin vigorously
opposing abortion until the 19th century.
In Europe and North America, abortion techniques advanced starting in the 17th century.
However, conservatism by most physicians with regards to sexual matters prevented the
wide expansion of safe abortion techniques. Other medical practitioners in addition to some
physicians advertised their services, and they were not widely regulated until the 19th
century, when the practice was banned in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Soviet Russia (1919), Iceland (1935) and Sweden (1938) were among the first countries to
legalize certain or all forms of abortion. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth
century, abortion was legalized in a greater number of countries.
Abortion Worldwide
Unsafe abortion is a major cause of death and health complications for women of childbearing age. Whether or not an abortion is safe is determined in part by the legal status and
restrictions, but also by medical practice, administrative requirements, the availability of
trained practitioners, and facilities, funding, and public attitudes.

While it is difficult to get reliable data on illegal and unsafe abortion, several well-known
organizations and researchers, including the World Health Organization, the Alan
Guttmacher Institute, and Family Health International, makes the following estimates:
Worldwide, 20 million unsafe abortions are performed annually.
Ninety percent of unsafe abortions are in developing countries.
One-third of all abortions worldwide are illegal. More than two-thirds of countries
in the Southern Hemisphere have no access to safe, legal abortion.
Estimates of the number of women who die worldwide from unsafe abortions each
year range from 70,000 to 200,000.
Half of all abortions take place outside the health care system.
One-third of women seeking care for abortion complications are under the age of
20.
About 40% of the world's population has access to legal abortion (almost all in
Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North America), although laws often require
the consent of parents, state committees, or physicians.
Abortion in Colombia
In 2006, Colombias Constitutional Court overturned an absolute ban on abortion,
allowing the procedure in cases of threat to a womans life or health, fetal
abnormality incompatible with life, and rape or incest.
Colombian women routinely face unnecessary barriers in accessing legal abortions.
As a result, many resort to clandestine procedures.
Half of all abortions in Colombia are performed using the drug misoprostol, which
is widely available. However, despite the drugs safety and efficacy when used
correctly, inadequate knowledge of its use among women and providers results in a
high rate of complications (32%), primarily heavy bleeding and incomplete
abortion.
Abortions that do not involve misoprostol are performed by a range of providers,
including doctors (primarily using surgical techniques), pharmacy personnel (using
high doses of oral contraceptives), nurses (using methods such as oxytocin

injections and insertion of catheters) and traditional midwives (by vaginally

inserting sharp objects or herbs, or providing herbal preparations or massages).
Thirty-three percent of all women having clandestine abortions experience
complications that require medical attention, but the complication rate is as high as
53% among poor rural women.
Complication rates are highest among women who do not use misoprostol and who
self-induce (65%) or seek the help of a traditional midwife (54%).
It costs the Colombian health care system approximately $14.4 million annually to
provide post abortion care (including only direct costs).

Pros and Cons of Abortion

PROS
The fetus is not yet a human being because
it cannot survive outside the uterus on its
own. Abortion should not be considered
murder if the fetus is not self-sustaining and
requires the mothers body and physical
resources to survive. The body of first
priority is therefore the mothers, and it
should be her choice as to what she endures
both mentally and physically.
A womans body belongs to herself, and she
should be free to do what she deems
necessary for her body and overall health in
any situation.

CONS
The fetus is a human being from the
moment of conception; this means abortion
is murder, which is immoral and should be
illegal.

If the pregnancy is the result of carelessness

on the mothers part, she should have to
deal with the consequences. It is ultimately
her responsibility to prevent pregnancy if
both she and her male partner do not wish
to conceive.
Many foster homes and orphanages are All babies have great potential; a woman
beyond capacity; putting a child into the could possibly abort a fetus that could have

foster care system would weigh even

heavier on already-scarce resources.
In cases of rape or incest, the resulting baby
could be a constant reminder to the woman
of the trauma she experienced. Research
also suggests that the babies of such cases
face a higher risk of neglect or abuse from
their mothers for various reasons.

grown up to be of great importance to

society or the world at large.
Many religions do not endorse abortion or
certain forms of birth control. This is
because such religions may believe that
sexual intercourse is for procreation
purposes only or because any children
conceived within a marriage are children of
God. Terminating a child of God is a moral
sin.

Does it concern us?

Yes, the abortion concerns us because this is a social problem that could affect our family
or friends carrying negatives consequences. Furthermore, if we dont have enough
knowledge about it we wouldnt have the ability to help other people to face the problem.

Provide a solution
The need for abortion will be reduced by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies.
1. Make contraception more easily available: The shocking fact is that millions of
Americans do not have access to contraceptives or know how to use them. For
many others they are prohibitively expensive. Easier access to contraception would
prevent hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and abortions. It would
also be cheaper: every public dollar which goes to family planning saves more than
three dollars, in the next year alone, that would otherwise be spent for health and
welfare services associated with unintended births.
2. Increase the involvement of men: Men and women have equal parts in creating
pregnancies. Therefore, they should have equal roles in preventing unwanted
pregnancies. Many family planning agencies now run programs which help men

recognize their equal responsibility in all aspects of sexuality: decision-making,

obtaining and using contraception, and handling any crisis which occurs.

Provide your point of view

Under any view we agree with the practice of abortion because as we mentioned before,
from the first moment of conception the fetus is a living being who feels. In addition, each
person has to be aware of the millions of methods of contraception to prevent unwanted
pregnancies and therefore the practice of abortion, especially clandestinely in some cases
bringing health complications.