Of the many pressing issues and challenges faced by our society today, abortion is one of the most serious and heavily debated subjects. Like Euthanasia, abortion involves the decision to end the life of another. Abortion is the induced termination of a pregnancy with destruction of the embryo or fetus. Upon the decision to abort, one would have chosen to end the life of the unborn child. Background information about Abortion
Methods of Abortion
RU486 (also called Misoprostol, Methotrexate, abortion pill (Mifeprex) or medical abortion)
The Abortion Pill (RU486) is an early abortion option for women who are 8 weeks pregnant or less. It consists of two medications – mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone needed to maintain the pregnancy. When progesterone is blocked, the uterine lining begins to shed and bleeding may occur. Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract and the pregnancy is usually expelled within 6 to 8 hours. Since every woman's body is different, bleeding varies from woman to woman. Some may experience light bleeding similar to that towards the end of a period while others have heavier bleeding like a heavy menstrual period. Some women do not experience any bleeding until taking the misoprostol. Medical abortion through the pill RU486 is about 97% effective. In some cases though the woman may have heavy bleeding which may require surgical abortion. Side effects may include heavy bleeding, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and heavy cramping.
Surgical Abortion - Vacuum Aspiration, D&E (Dilation and Evacuation)
MVA - Manual Vacuum Aspiration involves the use of handheld syringe as a source of suction for removing uterine contents. Cervical anesthesia is used and the procedure time is 5–15 minutes. A patient can leave the clinic within two hours.
Vacuum Aspiration involves the use of a slim, flexible tube attached to an electric pump with gentle suction and the