Abortion and Birth Control

Abortion and Birth Control

Abortion and Birth Control Birth Control has many factors and issues that make it a great subject to debate for or against. The rights and responsibilities of the topic are very necessary to solve the surrounding issues involved. Individuals seek help in making the decision on the topic of birth control and abortion which may change his or her life forever. Factors such as religion and age come into play to help sway the decision a certain way. Behavior can have a major effect before and after the decision has been made.
Religion and Beliefs Many questions arise when abortion and birth control are spoken of. The concept of the correct age of maturity is some issues that may rise. Birth control comes in many forms from abstinence to devices. Abortion can be thought of as a method of birth control after the female has already become pregnant. One view of birth control and abortion is that it is morally wrong. Another opinion is that it is unnatural. The behavior elements of morals are social. Morals are mainly made of the good or bad behaviors. Individuals have different concepts of acceptable behavior. The decision whether who and what is right or wrong is judged by everyone. In some situations morals are set aside. A known and difficult decision is should pregnancy due to rape be aborted. The situation is a result of a criminal act. Some people may state that the child should be aborted because of the resentment the mother may feel from knowing the conception. Adoption is an option but it is also taking a risk. There are risks when dealing with adoption. Individuals are taking chances on the life of another such s the child not being adopted and growing up in the system. Chances are that the child could have abusive adoptive parents. The child may have emotional issues such as feeling unwanted and resented. Religion is a motivation of what behaviors are considered appropriate. Some religions such as Catholics do not agree nor accept the idea of abortion or birth control under no circumstances. Many other religions condemn abortion also. The Hindu believed that the fetus is endowed with a divine spirit and that makes abortion a heinous crime (Cline, 2010). Individuals live and abide by the rules of religious beliefs as if it were law.
Parental Thoughts of Birth Control Before deciding whether or not to put a teen on birth control pills, one needs education in the advantages and disadvantages of it. This subject has been explained through a pediatrician. Dr. Susan Church, the pediatrician, spoke at an understandable level. The pediatrician began by asking questions to the teenager about her menstrual cycle. Many of the symptoms she questioned were symptoms the adolescent experienced and it was attestable by the mother. The next questions asked were about the teen’s future. After the doctor finished the groundwork, an explanation of the types of contraceptives was the topic at hand; it went into depth about the advantages of the PILL. The doctor explained that the PILL would relieve the pain associated with the monthly menstrual cramps, help premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the cycle would be easy to remember, and it would decrease the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The PILL also could offer some preventative benefits against benign breast cysts and some protection against ovarian and uterine cancers. There is the condom; with this method the effectiveness is good for STDs, as long as it is used properly, and pregnancy. Although the PILL can be successful if taken properly, there are disadvantages as well, which is the fact of becoming pregnant and the risk of an STD. As explained by the pediatrician, it is not anyone else’s business when a person is taking control pills but the person taking it. A teenager should not tell friends or a significant other that birth control pills are being taken. Doing so, many teens are troubled with the peer pressure of having sex. Even if a teenager confides in a friend, gossip is likely to takes place and the teenager could be put out as being sexually active even when the gossip is a lie. After careful consideration of the information provided by the pediatrician, it has been decided that birth control pills are favorable to a teen and mother. The teen understands that taking the PILL will not make her promiscuous and the parent is more at peace about the teen not becoming a teen mother along with the other benefits the PILL offers. If a teenager does decide to have sex, it lowers the chances of an unwanted pregnancy. Unwanted pregnancies can lead to abortion.
Negatives and Positives of Both Birth Control and Abortion There are many different forms of Birth Control available to women today, when choosing different methods there are negative and positive affects that occur. Abstinence of course is the 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy. But for those who choose to be sexually active there are many different ways to prevent pregnancy explained below. Some women will choose to use Barrier methods of birth control such as condoms, Spermicidal, diaphragms, cervical caps, and contraceptive sponges. Spermicidal are chemicals that kill sperm and are available in foam, jelly, foaming tablets, and vaginal suppositories. There are also Hormonal methods of birth control such as the Birth Control Pill which is taken daily, the Patch which is applied to one of the four specific areas of the body weekly, Depo-Provera, an injection that prevents pregnancy for three months, Lunelle, an injection that prevents pregnancy for one month, the NuvaRing, which is inserted into the vagina for three weeks then removed for one week, and then replaced with a new Ring, and the IUD (Intrauterine Device) which is a small device containing copper or hormones and is inserted into the uterus by a medical professional. Hormonal methods work in three ways to prevent pregnancy: 1) preventing the woman’s ovaries from releasing an egg each month; 2) causing the cervical mucus to thicken making it harder for sperm to reach and penetrate the egg; 3) thinning the lining of the uterus which reduces the likelihood that a fertilized egg will implant in the uterus wall. (American Pregnancy Association, 2010) The negatives to using Birth Control methods are that many women who use them will experience side effects such as nausea, headaches, breast tenderness, absent periods, mood changes, and even more serious risks can occur with continual use of birth control pills such as increased risk of blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, liver tumors, gallstones and jaundice. These risks are rare but there are warning signs such as sudden headaches, aches in the legs, chest pain, abdominal pain, trouble breathing, vision changes, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. The positive to using Birth control methods are that for some women oral contraceptives provide relief from irregular or missing periods, menstrual cramps, acne, and less menstrual bleeding that can lead to anemia. Also the use of birth control can help to prevent cancerous growths in the uterus, ovarian cancer, and the formation of ovarian cysts. The positives of abortion are that women have full control over their reproductive decisions to choose when to have a child. Other positives would be that if there were complications during pregnancy that would hurt the mother, child, or both, an abortion could prevent death. The negatives to abortions are that some women suffer from mental repercussions such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), guilt, depression, repression, suicidal thoughts, and post abortion psychosis for many years after the abortion. There are also physical repercussions such as infection, future childbearing problems, and in some case death after an abortion is performed.
Health and Risks of Abortion After a woman has undergone an abortion there are physical and emotional changes that can possibly occur. Some discomfort symptoms that may occur after surgical abortions include: pain or cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting (wpclinic.org, 2001). Sometimes it is typical for a woman to bleed thirteen to fifteen days (or even more) after a medical abortion. Some instances require blood transfusions in order to replenish the blood loss. Some cases hysterectomies have been performed to stop the bleeding. Other than hemorrhaging, infections may occur in the uterus. During an abortion there is a chance that the instrument punctures the uterine wall and damages other organs. If this occurs major surgery is needed to repair the destruction of organs. There is a possibility that any other future pregnancies will face complications. Any injuries to the cervix can cause miscarriages. If there is scarring this can block the fallopian tubes and will prevent future pregnancies. If the pregnancy is tubal from the beginning an abortion will miss it and the fetus will continue to grow. When this action occurs it can be extremely fatal. Links have been found between tubal pregnancies, breast cancer and abortions in twenty-seven national studies (2001-2009). Rarely death has occurred after an abortion. These are just the physical effects abortions may have on a woman. Men as well as women are likely to go through emotional hardships following an abortion. The following are possible emotional distresses to occur after aborting a pregnancy: sadness, sexual dysfunction, guilt, and suicidal thoughts, an increase in drug or alcohol use, and difficulty maintaining relationships. Managing the emotional side effects individuals should consult a counselor or support group.
Resources
There are many resources out there for birth control options and abortion. Starting with your personal doctor could be the right start for most people but others might find it difficult to discuss these options with someone he or she knows. Planned Parenthood is an organization that “for more than 90 years, promoted a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning”(Planned Parenthood, 2010). Planned Parenthood provides a “wide range of safe, reliable health care — and more than 90 percent is preventive, primary care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception”(Planned Parenthood, 2010). This is a great alternative to individuals who are scared or unsure of whom he/she should talk to. The company offers a wide system of information regarding abortion. One method includes abortion pill (medication abortion), in-clinic abortion, sedation options (medications to make the in-clinic abortion more comfortable), pre- and post-abortion patient education, post-abortion follow-up exams, referrals for abortion services, and referrals for abortion-related counseling. Birth Control is an option for many adults as well as teens. Birth Control is available without parental consent and is confidential with a health care provider. Not only does Planned Parenthood have information regarding abortions but has an array of information on birth control options. The company offers birth control options for individuals who do not have health insurance or who cannot afford birth control, the organization can offer payment options based on income. When searching on the internet many different sites will ship to his or her home. Surfing the web is also considered indirect way receiving birth control in the privacy of his or her home. There are a multiple of options for both abortion and birth control methods. These options can be attained through his or her personal doctor, research on the internet, or through additional health clinics throughout the country. Choosing these options there may be no reason for individuals to have an excuse for not having enough information or ways to receive the best product or resources available.

Resources
Church, S. (Speaker). (2010, March 6). Boice Willis Clinic
Cline, A. (2010). Abortion & religion: diverse religious traditions on the morality of abortion. About.com Agnosticism/ Atheism, Retrieved from http://http://atheism.about.com/od/abortioncontraception/p/Religions.htm
Community Pregnancy Care Center. http://www.mycpc.org/abortion_risks.html. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
Marcusm, (2006, April 30). Retrieved from http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Abortion__Yes_or_No__a15_f0.html
Planned Parenthood (2010). Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/abortion-services-abortion-ref
Tythan J, Lily (2009, December 6). Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/48500-negative-effects-birth-control/ http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/overviewtypesbirthcontrol.html
Westside Pregnancy Clinic. 2001-2009. http://www.wpclinic.org/abortion/health risks/#toc-mental-and-psychological. Retrieved March 6, 2010.

Links: Cline, A. (2010). Abortion & religion: diverse religious traditions on the morality of abortion. About.com Agnosticism/ Atheism, Retrieved from http://http://atheism.about.com/od/abortioncontraception/p/Religions.htm Community Pregnancy Care Center Marcusm, (2006, April 30). Retrieved from http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Abortion__Yes_or_No__a15_f0.html Planned Parenthood (2010) Tythan J, Lily (2009, December 6). Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/48500-negative-effects-birth-control/ risks/#toc-mental-and-psychological. Retrieved March 6, 2010.