This was one of those episodes where we've wanted to talk about it for a long time, and
people are surprised we've never covered it before.
So, welcome to the future.
Let's explain abortion.
A new study in PlosOne says 99% of women who received induced abortions believed it was
the right decision, even years later.
But even with the near-constant prattle on the subject of abortions in the United States,
many people are completely unaware of what the procedure entails.
Well, no longer.
Firstly, the term abortion, is actually an umbrella term for a number of different medical
procedures resulting in the termination of a pregnancy in the first 28 weeks.
Therapeutic abortion is when a pregnancy is terminated to save the life of the mother,
and elective abortion is when someone chooses to terminate for another reason.
Abortions can happen naturally too!
These 'spontaneous abortions' are commonly called a miscarriage.
There are two categories of abortion, Medical (or Clinical) and Surgical.
Medical uses a drug to terminate the pregnancy, and surgical involves physically clearing
the uterus.
The most common type of abortion in the US is the surgical procedure Suction Curettage.
It's commonly used in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester).
It involves numbing and dilating the cervix, the opening into the uterus, and inserting
a pencil-sized plastic tube.
The tube is attached to a suction device, and once in place, the fetus (or embyro if
it's earlier than 8 weeks), placenta and other uterine contents are evacuated.
Occasionally, the doctor must brush the inside wall of the uterus to ensure it's clear; the
whole procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes and is 100 percent effective.
Afterward, many doctors prescribe painkillers, as they'll experience pain similar to menstrual
cramping.
After 16 weeks (and up to viability) a different procedure is done called D&E or dilation and
evacuation.
It's different because the cervix must be dilated slightly wider to accommodate the
larger mass.
As this is the second trimester, the fetus ranges from six to twelve inches, depending
on the number of weeks pregnant.
Once the cervix is dilated, the doctor uses forceps and a light suction device to remove
the fetus, placental tissue and uterine contents.
A study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found more than 90 percent
of women who have had surgical abortions would recommend it to a friend, but 40 percent of
patients would opt for a medical abortion if a future procedure was required.
Medical abortions are non-invasive and use drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol, to
block the activity of progesterone in the human body.
Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus thins until the cells inside are evacuated
naturally, similar to a natural miscarriage.
Bleeding usually occurs for a week and a half to a month after taking the drugs, and it's
97 percent effective.
Medical abortions are simple procedures, but are only used in the first 49 days of a pregnancy.
The drug is also used to induce labor, and as an emergency contraceptive.
In 1973 the United States Supreme Court ruled, in a landmark decision, women's choice of
abortion falls under the right of privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
If the fetus can live outside the womb, even with medical assistance, however, then it
is considered viable and elective abortion is not usually protected under the law.
Viability ranges from pregnancy to pregnancy, but is usually from 22 to 24 weeks into a
pregnancy.
These abortion procedures don't involve body parts, surgery or the horrible pictures pro-life
activists put on their signs.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists point out abortions have few
side effects or risks for the women.
Medical abortions will sometimes not be complete, and will require a follow-up visit, but there's
no increased risk for breast cancers, or future pregnancy complications; and no change in
fertility.
Interestingly, "For women with an unplanned pregnancy, there is no difference in risk
of depression or other mental health problems between those who have an abortion and those
who have the baby."
The first recorded abortion was in 1550 BCE, and was recorded on the Ebers Papyrus, medical
scrolls used by ancient Egyptians.
Ancient Chinese have documentation of it as well, and the Christian Church even allowed
elective abortions until the mother could feel the fetus moving which is called the
quickening; though that changed in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Making these procedures illegal doesn't halt them being performed either.
In Nigeria, where elective abortion is illegal, fully half as many abortions are performed
as in the US with a much lower population, but 60 percent of those are done by untrained
non-physicians, risking the life and health of the women seeking the procedures.
In the end, the study from PLOSone also found as time goes by, any positive and negative
feelings around the procedure fade, though again, 99 percent are happy with their decision..
Over time, all memories lose their sharp edge, and it's no different with something as contentious
as induced abortion.
You're going to comment, maybe you have already.
I hope you watched this whole video, and I hope you learned something.
I'll be down in the comments for a while, so let me know what you think and thank you
so much for watching DNews.