Partial Birth Abortion - Research Paper Example

Introduction In medical practice, abortion refers to the preterm removal of the “products of conception, which includes placenta, fetal membranes andthe fetus from the womb or the uterus” (Reagan, 21). Loss of pregnancy is the ultimate result and objective of an abortion. Abortion could be induced or occur without any external prompts as in the case of miscarriage. The debate on legalization of abortion remains highly controversial, especially after President George Bush banned partial birth abortion in 2003. However, the practice is immoral with profound effects of physical and mental health of mother and the unborn child. This paper is a critical examination of partial birth abortion focusing on how the procedure is conducted and comparing it with other types of abortion. According to Cathy, partial birth abortion involves terminating a pregnancy without removal of all products of conception (3). One of the major differences between the process and other types of abortion is that the fetus is partially born and alive before it is killed. The procedure of partial birth abortion is delicate and is normally conducted by skilled medical personnel. Partial birth abortion has been practiced for a long time especially in the United States. Cathy notes that the practice came into public attention after a medical doctor admitted to have undertaken the procedure on routine basis in his practice in 1992(88). The doctor’s admission of the practice elicited intense debates, from both pro-abortion groups and prolife after the details about the procedure were made public (87-92). Before partial birth abortion was made illegal, proponents of the practice argued that it was a rare practice, conducted under extreme conditions especially during emergencies when the life of the unborn child and/or the mother is under threat (Alcorn, 72). However, in depth investigations on the prevalence of the practice in the American medical institutions revealed that the practice was indeed common. According to Reagan, partial birth abortion was regularly undertaken on healthy pregnant women with robust unborn fetuses aged 20 weeks and over (60). Proponents of partial birth abortion also contend that the practice is an important component of the “virtue of choice”, which allows all people including pregnant women the right to determine what to do with their lives (Cathy, 92). In spite of the practice being illegal, it is still widely practiced across the country. Partial birth abortion process is normally undertaken during the last trimester of pregnancy, when the fetus is about 20 weeks old and over (Tooley, et al, 52-57). Various medical terms are used in reference to the procedure including dilation and extraction procedure (D&X), intrauterine cranial decompression and intact dilation and extraction. To initiate partial birth abortion, the cervix of the pregnant women is dilated and then the abortionists pull the legs of the fetus from the womb into the birth canal. This process is undertaken with help of ultrasound and forceps are used to pull the legs. The fetus body is pulled out of the body but its head is left lodged in the cervix deliberately. Using a sharp surgical instrument the abortionists pierces the head of the fetus while the head is still in the cervix. The punctured hole in the skull is enlarged to allow insertion of a suction catheter into the brain region. The final process involves sucking the child’s brain through the catheter, killing the fetus and breaking up the skull. Finally, the dead fetus is pulled out of the mother’s body (Beckwith, 42-85). The signing of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003 by the then President Bush outlawed the practice. Before then, partial birth abortion was a legal medical practice specifically designed to terminate the lives of unborn children with birth defects and terminal illnesses (Alcorn, 119). The Partial Birth Abortion Act did not absolutely eliminate the practice. According to Cathy, the act allows for the partial birth abortion when “necessary” in order to save the life of the mother (88). Doctors violating the law are liable for a determined fine or an imprisonment for a period of not more than two years or both (Cathy, 84). Thus, the partial birth abortion act is tantamount to granting partial legal authority on abortion. Since the act was signed into law, Cathy (91) notes that no convictions are yet to be made, but the practice continues in United States health institutions. Most typical abortions are undertaken before the third trimester. During the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus is not viable and cannot survive on its own (Beckwith, 92). However, partial abortions take place when the fetus has developed most of its physiological functioning and is thus viable. During the last trimester, the fetus has the ability to undertake most physiological functions independently. Thus, the difference between partial birth abortion and manslaughter is that the baby is killed when not fully born because its head is few inches inside the cervix. According to Reagan, the type of abortion technique applied in clinical practice is usually determined by the length of the pregnancy and the size of the fetus (51). Normally, abortion usually involves two techniques, which include use of medical prescribed drugs to induce early labor and surgical removal of the developing fetus. Use of medical drugs does not involve surgical intervention whatsoever or other methods. The common drugs used include mifepristone. Abortion using drugs is usually conducted in the early pregnancy particularly during the first trimester when the fetus is not viable (Tooley, 77). Surgical abortions are usually conducted after the first trimester. After the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus has a well-developed and functioning circulatory system complete with blood vessels, blood and the heart (Alcorn, 138). During the second trimester, the fetus demonstrates several signs of life and can cry, grasp and kick while in the womb. During this developmental stage, surgical abortions methods are widely used and could be accompanied by medical interventions. Some of the abortion methods used during the period includes dilation and evacuation, in addition to poisoning the fetus by injecting it with a saline solution (Reagan, 108). Dilation and evacuation abortion is a surgical process, which involves dismembering the fetus using forceps. The forceps are usually inserted in the uterus and the abortionist tears the body of the fetus by twisting the forceps. The process continues until all the child’s bones and skulls are crushed. Then the crushed body segments are removed by suction or through an operation (Beckwith, 96-104). Other methods used during the second trimester include dilation and aspiration. In comparison with other types of abortion, partial birth abortion is carried out in the last trimester, when the unborn baby is viable and fully formed. The unborn child demonstrates virtually all signs of life. Therefore, partial birth abortion and other types of abortion undertaken during the second and the last trimester are identical because they kill an already developed and viable fetus. Conclusion All abortions, regardless the length of the pregnancy involves killing of an innocent being. Besides being an immoral practice, abortion exposes the life of the mother to physical and psychological problems (Tooley, 92). During partial birth abortion and other operations that dismember the unborn child, the woman is at great risk of perforating her uterine wall. The unborn child’s collapsed skull and broken bones could pierce the cervix and the uterus, causing further medical complications (Cathy, 92). Moreover, the dismembered fragments are sometimes left in the uterus and birth cavity increasing the risks of infection, hemorrhage and permanent infertility. Medical abortions also cause significant health effects including altering the ovulation cycle, side effects such as abdominal pains and bleeding among other unpleasant side effects (Alcorn, 185). According to Reagan, women who have terminated their pregnancies have higher risks of developing complications during their future conception. Some of the problems include giving birth to preterm babies, who are highly vulnerable to developing health defects such cerebral palsy and other developmental diseases (139-157). Moreover, research studies indicate that women who terminate their pregnancies have higher risks of developing mental problems in future (Alcorn, 209). Work Cited Alcorn, Randy. Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments Expanded and Updated. New York: Multnomah Books, 2000. Beckwith, Francis. Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice. Cambridge, USA: Cambridge university press, 2007. Cathy, Ruse. “Partial birth abortion trial”. Spring 2005. Accessed on 25 May 2012. From http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/RusePBAonTrial.pdf Reagan, Leslie. When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine and Law in the United States. California: University of California Press, 1998. Tooley, Michael et al. Abortion: Three Perspectives. Oxford, USA: Oxford University Press, 2009. Read More