The Sting Of Abortion

Many people do not understand that there are thousands of serious physical and psychological complications from abortion that happens every year. With the growing number of abortions both legal and illegal world over for family size management issue, it has become imperative for this author to explore this issue. The adverse effects of whether legal or illegal abortion on women is soon becoming more to the forefront as a particularly important human rights issue. Issues such as the abortion-breast cancer link, the abortion-depression link, the abortion-suicide links are now receiving widespread coverage. Therefore, in this article we explore all the possible stings of abortion and the full price that women pay.

To begin with, Abortion is defined as the deliberate and direct killing, by whatever means it is carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, at any time from conception to birth. However, it should not be confused with essential medical treatment to save the mother’s life that results in the death of her baby. There is a clear difference between essential medical treatment during pregnancy, and the direct targeting of the life of the unborn baby. In other sense, the word miscarriage has been used to explain an intentional abortion of a baby whilst abortion applies mostly to premeditated termination of a pregnancy for economic or social reasons.

The rising incidences of mostly illegal abortions in most of our communities have been largely linked to a lack of family planning which leads to ‘unwanted pregnancy’ as most literatures indicate. However, this author is not of the view that such a thing as ‘unwanted pregnancy’ exists owing to the process in which a human being may have to conceive (it takes two to tango or make a baby). Most people with small families claim to have planned their families to meet their economic capacities but the truth of the matter is, should we kill our unborn babies because of economic reasons..? or does abortion take away you new acquired mother status or make you a mother to a dead child..? Well, if economics reasons where central to predetermining the number of children a family should have, most of us wouldn’t have been born including the individual reading this article based on the economic hardships our parents passed through during the time we were conceived and with the ever worsening global economic issues, potential mothers and fathers of this generation would have to think twice. Consequently, if all babies are a special gifts from the almighty above and posses a unique contribution to this world, then they all deserve a chance to live. If one wants to avoid abortion really, then they should avoid getting pregnant by all means and methods possible than giving slim excuses when seeking medical abortion. Therefore, it would impress this author that our communities take up the issues of family planning seriously before landing their fate into the hands of medical undertakers. This is for simple reason that abortion whether legal or illegal still remains unsafe.

Abortion clinics and referral centres advertise in their literature that having an abortion is a practically painless, safe and easy procedure, carried out by a professional team who really care about women’s needs. Well, that is the claim but the reality differs dramatically as evidence of increasing malpractice legal cases grow steadily, confirming the belief that abortionists and their staff hold no value on life, be it the unborn child or the mother. But the truth of the matter is that all abortion hurts, as it is a direct interference with the woman’s body as well as interference with Nature. Immediately after an abortion, many women report a feeling of relief, and that is all the abortionists want you to hear beforehand. But you won’t hear of the guilt, depression and other physical complications that frequently follow. Furthermore, it is important to understand that these risks are rare (probably1 in every 100) and that some of these risks are associated with child birth. Hence, what matters is that you are aware that these risks exist as you strive to make an informed decision about your pregnancy.

CERVICAL, OVARIAN, AND LIVER CANCER
Women with a history of one abortion face a higher risk of having cervical cancer, compared to women with no history of abortion. Women with two or more abortions face also a relative risk. Similar elevated risks of subsequent ovarian and liver cancer have also been linked to single and multiple abortions. These increased cancer rates for post-aborted women may be linked to the unnatural disruption of the hormonal changes which accompany pregnancy and untreated cervical damage or to increased stress and the negative impact of stress on the immune system.

UTERINE PERFORATION
All abortion patients may suffer perforation of their uterus, yet most of these injuries remain undiagnosed and untreated unless laparoscopic visualization is performed. Such an examination may be useful when beginning an abortion malpractice suit. The risk of uterine perforation is increased for women who have previously given birth and for those who receive general anesthesia at the time of the abortion. Uterine damage results in complications in later pregnancies and eventually evolve into problems which require a hysterectomy, which in itself may result in a number of additional complications and injuries including osteoporosis.

CERVICAL LACERATIONS
Significant cervical lacerations requiring sutures occur in at least one percent of first trimester abortions. Lesser lacerations, or micro fractures, which would normally not be treated may also result in long term reproductive damage. Latent post-abortion cervical damage may result in subsequent cervical incompetence, premature delivery, and complications of labor. The risk of cervical damage is greater for teenagers, for second trimester abortions, and when practitioners fail to use laminaria for dilation of the cervix.

PLACENTA PREVIA
Abortion increases the risk of placenta previa in later pregnancies (a life threatening condition for both the mother and her wanted pregnancy) by seven to fifteen fold. Abnormal development of the placenta due to uterine damage increases the risk of fetal malformation, perinatal death, and excessive bleeding during labor.

SUBSEQUENT PRE-TERM DELIVERIES AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS OF LABOR

Women who had one, two, or more previous induced abortions are, respectively more likely to have a subsequent pre-term delivery, compared to women who carry to term. Prior induced abortion not only increase the risk of premature delivery, it also increases the risk of delayed delivery. Women who had one, two, or more induced abortions are, respectively more likely to have a post-term delivery (over 42 weeks). Pre-term delivery increases the risk of neonatal death and handicaps.

HANDICAPPED NEWBORNS IN LATER PREGNANCIES
Abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage which may increase the risk of premature delivery, complications of labor and abnormal development of the placenta in later pregnancies. These reproductive complications are the leading causes of handicaps among newborns.

ECTOPIC PREGNANCY
Abortion is significantly related to an increased risk of subsequent ectopic pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies, in turn, are life threatening and may result in reduced fertility.

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID)
PID is a potentially life threatening disease which can lead to an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and reduced fertility. According to some literature, of patients who have a chlamydia infection at the time of the abortion, 23% will develop PID within 4 weeks. Studies have found that 20 to 27% of patients seeking abortion have a chlamydia infection. Approximately 5% of patients who are not infected by chlamydia develop PID within 4 weeks after a first trimester abortion. It is therefore reasonable to expect that abortion providers should screen for and treat such infections prior to an abortion.

ENDOMETRITIS
Medical literature reveals that Endometritis is a post-abortion risk for all women, but especially for teenagers, who are 2.5 times more likely than women 20-29 to acquire endometritis following abortion.

In general, most of the studies cited above reflect risk factors for women who undergo a single abortion. These same studies show that women who have multiple abortions face a much greater risk of experiencing these complications. This point is especially noteworthy since approximately 45% of all abortions are for repeat aborters.

In a survey of 1428 women, researchers found that pregnancy loss, and particularly losses due to induced abortion, was significantly associated with an overall lower health. Multiple abortions correlated to an even lower evaluation of “present health.” While miscarriage was detrimental to health, abortion was found to have a greater correlation to poor health. These findings support previous research which reported that during the year following an abortion women visited their family doctors 80% more for all reasons and 180% more for psychosocial reasons. The authors also found that “if a partner is present and not supportive, the miscarriage rate is more than double and the abortion rate is four times greater than if he is present and supportive. If the partner is absent the abortion rate is six times greater.”

This finding is supported by a 1984 study that examined the amount of health care sought by women during a year before and a year after their induced abortions. The researchers found that on average, there was an 80 percent increase in the number of doctor visits and a 180 percent increase in doctor visits for psychosocial reasons after abortion.

In summary, Abortion is significantly linked to behavioral changes such as promiscuity, smoking, drug abuse, and eating disorders which all contribute to increased risks of health problems. For example, promiscuity and abortion are each linked to increased rates of PID and ectopic pregnancies. Which contributes most is unclear, but apportionment may be irrelevant if the promiscuity is itself a reaction to post- abortion trauma or loss of self esteem. Hence, in a ‘normal’ situation, women may experience abortion as a traumatic event for several reasons. Many are forced into an unwanted abortions by husbands, boyfriends, parents, or others. If the woman has repeatedly been a victim of domineering abuse, such an unwanted abortion may be perceived as the ultimate violation in a life characterized by abuse. Other women, no matter how compelling the reasons they have for seeking an abortion, may still perceive the termination of their pregnancy as the violent killing of their own child. The fear, anxiety, pain, and guilt associated with the procedure are mixed into this perception of grotesque and violent death. Still other women, report that the sting of abortion, inflicted upon them by a masked stranger invading their body, feels identical to rape.

JONES H MUNANG’ANDU
HEALTH PRACTICTIONER
MEDICAL AUTHOR
MOBILE 0966565670/0979362525
SYPPE ID; jones.muna
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jones-h-m-munang-andu-85912960