The concept of “abortion” from a medical and philosophical point of view
Medically. The term “abortion” refers to the process of terminating a pregnancy. A distinction is made between spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and artificial abortion , which involves medical intervention in the process of pregnancy. According to the timing of termination of pregnancy, abortion is classified into early (up to 12 weeks) and late (from 12 to 28 weeks). Termination of pregnancy after 28 weeks is called premature birth.
From a philosophical and moral point of view. Abortion can well be considered real murder . In the embryo, the neural tube is formed already on the 21st day after conception. Abortion after 21 days is the deprivation of life of a living human being who feels everything and experiences terrible pain during the abortion process. It is not for nothing that sincerely religious people are categorically against abortion.
Psychological state after abortion
After termination of pregnancy, hormonal levels change and psychological problems begin. For those who have had an abortion (reviews confirm this), depression begins immediately after the operation or after some time. The nature of the difficulty depends on the circumstances that led to it.
Almost all women who have had an abortion need psychological help. The most common conditions:
- feelings of guilt that last for years;
- fear of becoming a bad mother in relation to existing or future children;
- worry about health;
- anger;
- resentment towards loved ones and oneself;
- shame.
Medical or pill abortion
This is an abortion, during which surgical intervention in the pregnant woman’s body is not performed.
How it is carried out: The effect of medical termination of pregnancy is based on the fact that when taking the medication, the production of the hormone progesterone, which is vital for the development of the fetus, is blocked. This leads to spontaneous dilation of the cervix and, as a consequence, the release of the fertilized egg.
Peculiarities:
- This method of abortion is limited to 7 weeks . In addition, despite its apparent harmlessness and safety, medical abortion has some side effects;
- All drugs used in medical abortion are hormonal (mifepristone, mifegin and mifiprex). Their intake leads to hormonal imbalance in the body.
Side effects : headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
In what cases is a pill abortion indicated: it is recommended for young and never-given girls with early pregnancy, since this particular type of abortion is characterized by a minimal list of negative consequences. Read more.
Possible complications
Despite the simplicity, ease and accessibility of this type of intervention, the likely consequences cannot be ignored, namely:
- Incomplete abortion, in which only part or all of the fertilized egg remains in the uterus, which means the pregnancy does not end. To exclude such cases, an ultrasound examination is performed, and observation by a specialist is prescribed for up to one to two months after the operation;
- In some pathologies, pain in the lower abdomen (due to contractions in the uterus) cannot be ruled out, which is similar to pain during menstruation and these sensations last as long as they do. As with similar pains, you can get rid of them if you take antispasmodic tablets;
- minor and short-term disturbance of the menstrual cycle.
In turn, the formation of pneumoembolism, or blockage of large vessels by a thrombus, is quite possible. This should be considered a consequence of the human factor, when after a mini-abortion, positive pressure is formed in the uterine area, rather than negative, and air penetrates into the circulatory system.
This phenomenon after an abortion ends in death. Specialists rarely encounter this, because absolutely every modern vacuum aspirator is designed in such a way that it is impossible to supply air to the uterine area.
Perforation of the uterus, as well as injury to nearby organs during the process of perforation of the uterus, should not be ruled out. This can happen when the uterine area is probed with a metal uterine probe to measure the extent of the uterus itself.
Vacuum abortion
Vacuum abortion is also called a mini-abortion. It is believed that this type of abortion is more gentle than surgical abortion and has fewer consequences.
How it is carried out: It is performed without dilating the cervix using a special vacuum aspirator apparatus, which significantly reduces the likelihood of various complications occurring after the abortion procedure. A special probe connected to a pump is inserted into the uterine cavity. The fertilized egg is literally sucked out from there.
Peculiarities:
- This method of termination of pregnancy is recommended for up to 8 weeks . There are a number of side effects;
- It is characterized by a shorter rehabilitation period for the patient compared to an instrumental type of abortion.
Side effects: inflammation, bleeding, infertility, etc.
In what cases is it recommended: Mini-abortion is recommended for termination of pregnancy in the early stages (up to 8 weeks).
Other subtleties
The operation lasts no more than five minutes and is done either under local or full anesthesia. This is due to the effects of anesthetics, the effect of which lasts only a few minutes.
When the vacuum abortion is completed, there is a need to undergo mandatory ultrasound control. This is done to finally make sure that there are no residues, and it is also recommended to drink special tonic tablets.
In case of incomplete abortion of any period, residual tissue particles are sucked out or scraped out using a curette.
Advantages of this method
As mentioned earlier, after a mini-abortion, negative consequences are minimized. But these are not all the advantages, as reviews say, of the presented method to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy. The cost of which is accessible to all segments of the population.
So, this mini operation:
- does not cause any injury to the cervix and body of the uterus;
- This procedure can be performed even on an outpatient basis. That is why it costs much less than other types of pregnancy loss;
- the mucous surface of the uterus suffers a minimal amount of damage, resulting in a much more intensive restoration of the integrity of the uterine area than was possible with a standard abortion;
- in cases where pregnancy is terminated at a short period of time, hormonal changes in the body are much less evident than when terminating a pregnancy by curettage, which is carried out in the eighth to 12th week, and if you believe the reviews, it is much more difficult;
- relatively rapid restoration of the functions of the menstrual period occurs in the region of 40-43 days.
We should not forget about the emotional component, because these terms have not yet contributed to the woman having time to get used to the fetus. So it will be much easier to terminate the pregnancy.
Surgical or instrumental abortion
This is the most dangerous and, at the same time, the most common method of terminating a pregnancy.
How it is done: The cervix is dilated with special instruments. And then the contents of the uterine cavity are scraped out with a surgical instrument (curette).
Peculiarities:
- It is carried out under anesthesia and under ultrasound control;
- Surgical termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks ;
- This method is very imperfect, since there is a high probability of mechanical damage to the walls of the uterus, infection and rupture of the cervical muscles.
Side effects: infertility, bleeding, cervical rupture.
In what cases is it performed: Recommended for termination of pregnancy at a later stage (up to 12 weeks).
Sex life and pregnancy
The question of when you can start having sex and how many months later it will be possible to have a child after an abortion worries every woman.
The answer to the question after what period of time you can start having a sexual life is simple - after two, maximum three weeks. This period is necessary for the uterus to fully “come to its senses.” Because no matter how gentle the type of abortion presented is, it is still a complex operation.
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that in the first month and a half it is mandatory to use condoms, which will help protect the woman not only from infection, but also from an unwanted pregnancy at the moment.
If we talk about the period at which pregnancy is possible, then experts recommend having a child no earlier than six months later. By this time, the body will not only come to its senses, but will also be restored to its previous healthy state.
What method of abortion is the safest?
Undoubtedly, the safest and most gentle modern method of terminating a pregnancy for the female body is medical abortion. The method became especially widespread back in 1990.
Advantages of medical abortion:
- The possibility of terminating an unwanted pregnancy at the earliest stages, when the fetus has not yet formed;
- Early timing of this abortion allows you to avoid surgical intervention and not injure the endometrium of the uterus.
The second safest option is vacuum abortion.
Instrumental abortion is the most dangerous due to the need for surgical intervention, which very often entails negative consequences for the health of the female body.
What does the future hold for a woman who has had an abortion?
Abortion often has a negative impact on a woman's future fertility, the doctor notes.
— Due to infection or damage to the endometrium by a surgical instrument, inflammation can occur, which sometimes becomes chronic. This leads to disruption of the functionality of the endometrium, which can cause problems with conceiving and bearing a child. In some cases, obstruction of the fallopian tubes occurs, which also leads to negative consequences for female reproductive health.
Access to treatment for complications of abortion
Health care providers are required to provide life-saving care to all women who develop abortion-related complications, including treatment for complications of unsafe abortion, regardless of the legal status of the abortion. However, in some cases, treatment of abortion complications is provided only if the woman provides information about the person(s) who performed the illegal abortion.
The practice of obtaining confessions from women seeking emergency medical treatment for the consequences of an illegal abortion puts their lives at risk. The legal requirement that doctors and other health care providers report women who have had abortions results in delays in care and increases risks to women's health and lives. UN human rights standards call on countries to ensure that treatment is provided promptly and unconditionally to everyone who seeks emergency medical care (7) .
Scale of the problem
According to data from 2010–2014, about 45% of all abortions in the world were unsafe (2).
One third of all unsafe abortions were carried out in the least safe conditions, that is, by unskilled persons using dangerous and invasive methods (2).
In Latin America and Africa, the majority (about 3 out of 4) of abortions are unsafe.
In developing countries alone, a 2012 estimate estimated that 7 million women a year were treated in hospital for complications from unsafe abortion (4).
Between 4.7% and 13.2% of annual maternal deaths may be associated with unsafe abortion (3). In developed areas of the world, it is estimated that for every 100,000 unsafe abortions, 30 women die. This number reaches 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in developing regions and 520 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Africa, almost half of all abortions are performed in the least safe conditions. In Africa, women die from unsafe abortion at a disproportionately high rate. While the continent accounts for 29% of all unsafe abortions, 62% of all unsafe abortion-related deaths occur here (2).
