Persuasive Speech on Abortions

The issues of the abortions

Each day, thousands of women abort their unborn children. Most women and couples decide to have abortions without educating themselves on the subject of abortion. There are two different types of abortion procedures, medical and surgical, used to abort a fetus in each trimester of pregnancy. With these procedures come numerous potential physical and psychological risks that women and couples should educate themselves about before deciding to go through with an abortion. There are also contrasting views on abortion that women and couples should take into account that may help them make a decision on either to abort their baby or go on and raise their baby. In order to understand abortion, one must examine the different procedures used to abort the fetus, risks that follow the procedures, and the contrasting views on abortion.

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In order to understand abortion, one must examine the different procedures used to abort the fetus. Abortion procedures used during the first trimester of pregnancy include options between medical and surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy (“Description”). Medical abortion, also known as chemical abortion, is the use of pills to terminate a pregnancy (“Description”). Mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill or RU-486, is a drug that can be used up to the second month of pregnancy (“Description”, “There are”). When taken, the abortion pill blocks a necessary pregnancy hormone called progesterone from producing food, fluids and oxygen for the developing fetus (“There Are”).

Two days later a second drug called prostaglandin is taken to induce labor to expel the dead fetus. In comparison to medical abortion, surgical abortion is the use of localized anesthesia and special tools to remove the fetus prematurely. One of the surgical procedures used during the first trimester of pregnancy is aspiration, which can be used up to sixteen weeks of pregnancy (“Abortion Procedures”). Before the procedure is started, the cervix is given a local anesthesia for pain and opened enough for the tools to be inserted into the uterus for the procedure (“There Are”).

This procedure requires a suctioning device to vacuum the fetus out of the uterus (“Description”). After the fetus is vacuumed out of the uterus, a curette, atool with a knife like end used to cut and scrape, is used to remove any remaining parts of the fetus or placenta off of the uterine wall (“Description”, “There Are”). The procedures used during the first trimester of pregnancy can range from a simple pill to a complicated and painful procedure. Women and couples in the first trimester of pregnancy should research the types of abortion procedures before having an abortion to decide which procedure would be best for them.

Abortion procedures during the second trimester of pregnancy use only surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy. Medical procedures cannot be used in the second trimester because the fetus is too large making medical procedures ineffective. One of the abortion procedures used in the second trimester of pregnancy is dilation and curettage, also called D and C. Dilation and curettage is a surgical procedure used at sixteen weeks of pregnancy (“There Are”, “Abortion Procedures”).

In this procedure, the cervix is put on a local anesthesia for pain. The cervix is then dilated, and a curette is inserted into the uterus. Both the fetus and placenta are torn apart by the curette and put into a container (“There Are”). Another surgical procedure used at sixteen weeks during the second trimester of pregnancy is dilation and evacuation, also known as D and E (“Abortion Procedures”, “There Are”). Like dilation and curettage, the cervix is put on a local anesthesia for pain in dilation and evacuation.

In this procedure, the cervix is dilated and forceps, a tool used to grasp objects, tears the fetus apart and pulls it out of the uterus until only the fetus’s head remains. The remaining skull of the baby is crushed by the forceps and taken out of the uterus carefully so the uterus or cervix is not injured. After the uterus is emptied of all of the fetal and placenta parts, the body is put back together to make sure all of the parts are accounted for, and that nothing was left inside the uterus (“There Are”). From the description of these two procedures, one can conclude that they are painful alternatives to having a baby, and women and couples in the second trimester should educate themselves with all of these procedures before deciding on which abortion procedure they want to have.

Similarly, abortion procedures during the third trimester of pregnancy use only surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy. Third trimester abortion procedures, also called late term abortions, are illegal in the United States, as determined by the state, except in special circumstances, and are rarely used (“Abortion Procedures”). Induction abortion is a rare procedure in which the cervix is put on a local anesthesia and dilated. A needle is then inserted into the woman’s abdomen.

The amniotic fluid is extracted from the uterus and replaced with saline to kill the fetus by suffocating it, after which the dead fetus is delivered vaginally, with or without local anesthesia, depending on the woman (“Description”). Urea or potassium chloride may also be used in place of saline in this procedure (“Abortion Procedures”). Another late term abortion procedure that is used is dilation and extraction, also known as D and X (“There Are”). In this procedure the cervix is put on a local anesthesia and dilated for birth. An abortionist will use forceps to deliver the baby in breech position up to its head. One must keep in mind that the baby is alive.

The abortionist cuts into the base of the baby’s skull and vacuums its brain out until the skull collapses, and the head is delivered. This procedure is also called partial birth abortion, and it is illegal in the United States except in special circumstances as determined by the state in which the woman lives (“There Are”, “Description”). One must understand that to abort a fetus during the third trimester requires special circumstances due to the mother’s health and the fact that the baby is partially born and almost to full term.

In order to understand abortion, one must examine the possible risks that follow abortion procedures. There are physical risks after having an abortion that affects women that must be considered. Ten percent of first time abortions have major complications due to incomplete evacuation of the fetus and placenta, or infection or injury to the uterus or cervix (“Abortion Risks”). Anticipated minor side effects of abortion include cramping, nausea, and minimal bleeding.

These side effects vary among different women and can happen anywhere from two to four weeks after an abortion takes place (“Possible Physical”). There are also major side effects following an abortion that can cause serious and permanent damage. Excessive bleeding is one of the major side effects of abortion and is usually a result from a puncture or tare in the uterine wall or cervix. If the bleeding is not controlled, a blood transfusion may be required (“Abortion Risks”). Another side effect of abortion is infection. Out of an observed one thousand eighty-two abortions, twenty-seven percent acquired post-abortion infection (“Abortion Risks”).

A type of infection that may happen after an abortion is pelvic inflammatory disease, also known as PID. PID is caused by infectious bacteria and can spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries if it is not controlled. Fetal or placenta parts that are accidentally left in the uterus can also cause this disease and a second abortion procedure may be required to correct the problem (“Abortion Risks”). Abortions can cause numerous physical side effects, and women and couples should consider them before deciding to have an abortion.

There are psychological risks to women after having an abortion that people should be aware of.Psychological side effects are more common than physical side effects and they vary depending on the woman (“Abortion Emotional”). Over eighty-five percent of women who have an abortion report experiencing at least one negative psychological problem.

One of the psychological risks after having an abortion is post abortion stress syndrome, also known as PASS. Post abortion stress syndrome is triggered by a traumatic abortion experience and diagnosed with a specific set of symptoms. The symptoms of women with post abortion stress syndromeare depressed, cannot function normally or manage their responsibilities, harm themselves, have suicidal thoughts and actions, and have the desire to be or become pregnant (“Abortion Risks”).

Another psychological risk after having an abortion is depression and anxiety. Sixty-five present of women who choose to have an abortion are at higher risk for long-term clinical depression than women who do not choose to have an abortion.Pregnant women who have no prior anxiety issues and choose to have an abortion are thirty percent more likely to acquire general anxiety than pregnant women who choose not to have an abortion (“Abortion Risks”). Women and couples should educate themselves and consider all of the possible psychological side effects after having an abortion before deciding whether to go on with a pregnancy or have an abortion.

In order to understand abortion, one must examine the different views on abortion. People who strongly disagree with abortion and want it to be illegal are called pro-life supporters. Pro-life supporters argue, through research,that life begins at conception and that abortion is the murdering of a human being whose right to life should be protected (“Abortion” Current).

Pro-life supportersalso think on the ethical side of the problem. For example, supporters believe that when a doctor gives a woman an abortion, they are disobeying the Hippocratic oath, an oath all doctors take before being given their license to practice (“AbortionProCon”). In the modern version of the Hippocratic oath, written by Luis Lasagna in 1964, he says, “Above all, I must not play God” (“AbortionProCon”).

Pro-lifers argue that by helping a woman to abort a fetus, the doctor is taking away a baby’s right to life, which is directly playing God and disobeying the Hippocratic oath (“AbortionProCon”, “Should Abortion”). Not only do pro-life supporters believe that abortion murders a human being and is unethical, they also believe that abortions affect adoption.

Pro-life supporters say when women have an abortion they are bringing down the amount of adoptable babies for couples who cannot have children of their own, therefore should still have their baby and give it up for adoption to couples that cannot conceive a child (“Should Abortion”). These pro-life views may help pregnant women and couples to decide whether to have an abortion or have their child. Pro-life supporters are strictly against abortion, argue that it is unethical for a doctor to give an abortion and believe it should be illegal.

Some people agree with abortion and believe it should stay legal. People who agree with abortion are called pro-choice supporters. They argue that the government should not limit abortion, and that women have the right to choose what happens to their body (“AbortionProCon”).Pro-choice supporters argue that the government cannot force a woman to go through a pregnancy if she does not want to raise a child (“Should Abortion”). Supporters say if abortion becomes illegal there will be more back-street abortions, in which two hundred thousand women die from annually (“Should Abortion”, “Abortion” Current).

Supporters also think about the human status of the baby. Some pro-choice supporters, unlike pro-life supporters, argue that life begins at birth, and that a fetus has no rights to be protected; thereforethey think it is not wrong for a pregnant woman to have an abortion (“Abortion” Current). Not only do pro-choice supporters argue that the government should not limit abortion and a fetus is not a human until birth, they also keep the well being of the baby in mind.

For example, if a couple knows their baby will be born with a severe medical condition they may decide whether to have the baby or have an abortion. Supporters also argue if a baby is going to be born unwanted it should be aborted (“AbortionProCon”). These pro-choice views may help pregnant women and couples decide whether to have an abortion or have their child. Pro-choice supporters are for abortion, argue that the government has no place in telling pregnant women they have to have their baby, and believe that abortion should stay legal.

There are certain things women and couples should examine before deciding to have an abortion. There are different types of abortion procedures in each trimester; medical abortions, which use pills to abort a fetus and can only be used in the first trimester and surgical abortion, which use tools and anesthesia to abort a fetus and can be done in all trimesters.

Women should know where they are in their pregnancy, first, second, or third trimester, so they can determine which abortion procedure would be the best choice for her. There are minor and major physical risks that may follow an abortion such as nausea, cramping, and pelvic inflammatory disease. There are also psychological risks such as depression and anxiety and post abortion stress syndrome.

Women and couples should educate themselves with all of the potential physical and psychological risks of abortion before deciding to go through with a medical or surgical abortion procedure. Lastly, there are views on abortion such as pro-life, people strongly against abortion, and pro-choice, people who agree with abortion. Knowing the views on abortion can help women and couples to reassure themselves when they decide whether they want to go through with a pregnancy or have an abortion.

When one examines the types of abortion procedures, risks that may follow the procedures, and the different views, they will better understand abortion.

Works Cited

1. "Abortion." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
2. "Abortion Emotional Side Effects." American Pregnancy Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
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6. Documentation to Risks. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
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8. Abortion Procedures, How They Work, What to Expect. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
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