The sophomore presentation
builds on the freshman presentation
by introducing to the students how
abortions are performed. This is
not meant as a "scare" tactic; rather
to give honest, factual information
about a procedure that has been
effectively glossed over by the
pro-choice movement as a safe, simple
procedure. While the subject matter
is inherently "violent" in nature,
it gives the presenter an opportunity
to show the true, compassionate
nature of the pro-life movement
to both baby and mother.
-
Review the
highlights of the middle school/freshman
presentation.
- Life begins at conception;
the beauty of human development
- For what reasons are
abortions done in the US today?
93% are done for elective, non-medical
reasons (does not fit my lifestyle,
too young, family pressure).
- Less than 1% are done to
end pregnancy due to rape
or incest.
- The remainder deal with
maternal health and fetal
abnormalities; the ultimate
discrimination against persons
with disabilities
- Opportunity to discuss the
"hard" cases : rape and incest
- Surgical Methods of
Abortion
- Suction Aspiration or Vacuum
Curettage - discuss what dilation
means; used in 90 of first
trimester abortions; first
trimester method
- Dilation and Curettage -
done before 12 weeks
- Dilation and Evacuation
- used up to 24 weeks; traumatic
dismemberment
- Chemical Methods of
Abortion
- RU486 - the perception of
an "easier" method -a combination
of pills; 2 powerful hormones
mifepristone and misoprostal;
3 trips to office; uncertain
outcomes for different women,
heavy bleeding, etc., may
require surgical abort
- Methotrexate - originally
a cancer drug used to attack
tumors it attacks the fast
growing cells of the new life's
support mechanism, the placenta
- Partial Birth Abortion
- Late term abortion method
in which the baby is partially
delivered outside the women's
body; catheter inserted at
base of skull and brain matter
evacuated
- Discuss the legislative
battle to end this practice
(est. 2800-4000/yr.) be
gun
in the Clinton administration
and successfully banned in
Nov. 2003
- After effects of abortion
are both physical and emotional.
There are many methods of abortion.
The procedure used depends largely
upon the stage of pregnancy and the
size of the unborn child. Dr. J.C.
Wilke, in his book
Abortion Questions
and Answers (Hayes Publishing
Co. Inc., Cincinnati, 1985) has divided
the methods of abortion into three
main categories:
»
those that invade the uterus and kill
the child by instruments which enter
the uterus through the cervix;
»
those that kill the preborn child
by administration of drugs and then
induce labor and the delivery of a
dead baby;
»
and, those that invade the uterus
by abdominal surgery.
Dilation of the uterus is required
in cervical methods of abortion.
The usual method of dilation is
to insert a series of instruments
of increasing size into the cervix.
A set of dilators, metallic curved
instruments, are used to open the
cervix sufficiently to accommodate
the instruments of abortion. In
contrast with a normal birth, where
the dilation occurs slowly over
a period of many hours, the forceful
stretching by the abortionist to
open the cervix can result in permanent
physical injury to the mother.
Laminaria (dehydrated material,
usually seaweed) is sometimes used
to reduce damage to the cervix.
Inserted into the cervix the day
before the scheduled abortion, it
absorbs water and swells, gradually
pushing open the cervix in the process.
Abortion ends a pregnancy by destroying
and removing a developing child.
App. 93% of all induced abortions
are performed for elective, non-medical
reasons.
Surgical abortions are done in
a variety of methods.
Simply put – a non-pregnant
woman’s uterus is small and
tight (like a fist). The cervix
is very soft. A pregnant woman’s
uterus is larger and soft and the
cervix is tightly closed.
Suction
Aspiration/Vacuum Curettage/Vacuum
Aspiration |
»
surgical, first trimester
»
used in 90% of first trimester abortions
»
a suction curette (hollow tube with
a knife-edged tip) is inserted into
the womb through the dilated cervix.
This dismembers the body of the
developing baby and tears placenta
from the wall of the uterus. It
is then connected to a vacuum machine
by a transparent tube, sucking blood,
amniotic fluid, placental tissue
and fetal parts into a bottle and
discarded.
»
Uterus can be punctured, causing
hemorrhage and infection.
»
Infection can easily develop if
any fetal or placental tissue is
left behind in the uterus. This
is the most frequent post-abortion
complication.
Dilation
and Curettage (not to be confused
with routine D&C) |
»
Usually done before 12 weeks
»
Cervix dilated and stretched to
permit insertion of loop-shaped
steel knife (curette).
»
Body of baby cut into pieces and
removed
»
Placenta scraped off the uterine
wall
»
Blood loss likely as is the likelihood
of uterine perforation and infection.
This abortion is done with salt
poisoning in the 2nd and 3rd trimester.
This technique is used after 16
weeks, when enough fluid has accumulated
in the amniotic sac surrounding
the baby. A needle is inserted through
the woman’s abdomen and a
cup of amniotic fluid is withdrawn
and replaced with a solution of
concentrated salt. The baby breathes
in, swallowing the salt and is poisoned.
It causes painful burning of the
skin, and usually after an hour
the child dies. The woman goes into
labor within 24 hours. Seizures,
coma or death may result if saline
is inadvertently injected into the
woman’s vascular system.
Why an abortion
pill? Surgical abortion is increasingly
unpopular with women, doctors and
the American public. It is intimidating,
mechanical, invasive and abrupt.
Doctors who do surgical abortions
are considered pariahs (social outcasts)
among other doctors.
The changing image
of abortion – REPACKAGING 
»
RU486 – the “magic pill”
that makes the baby “go away”.
»
Smaller babies – easier targets.
The ultrasound pictures of the developing
fetus damages the pro-choice cause.
»
Methotrexate – originally
designed as an anti-cancer drug
was accidently found to abort babies.
»
Planned Parenthood is very involved
in the marketing of this abortion
pill
»
Increases the pressure on the woman
– the woman takes the pills
herself
»
Price is the same or more than a
surgical abortion
Uses 2
powerful synthetic hormones –
mifepristone and misoprostal.
~ chemically induces abortions in
women 5-7 weeks pregnant
~ procedure requires 3 trips to
abortion facility
»
First – after physical
exam, patient swallows pills (if
she has no contra-indications –
“red flags” smoking,
asthma, diabetes, high blood-pressure,
obesity). RU486 blocks action of
progesterone, the natural hormone
vital to maintaining the rich, nutrient
lining of the uterus. The developing
baby starves as the lining disintegrates.
90% of women experience abdominal
pain enough to warrant a pain killer;
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
»
Second - 36-48
hours later, the woman is given
a dose of artificial prostaglandins,
usually misoprostol. This initiates
uterine contractions and forces
the embryonic baby to be expelled
from the uterus. Woman feels pain,
sweaty and nauseas.
Most women abort during the 4 hour
waiting period at the clinic, but
30% abort at home and as many as
5 days later. Excessive bleeding
occurs – 4x the average blood
loss compared to surgical abortion.
The bleeding lasts 1-2 weeks and
some women have bled for as long
as 2 months. One in 20 women need
a special drug to stop the bleeding.
»
Third – 2
weeks later determines whether abortion
has occurred or if a surgical abortion
is necessary. This occurs in 5-10%
of women. There are serious well-documented
side effects. One woman died in
France, several suffered heart attacks.
One woman almost bled to death and
required emergency surgery. Long
term effects are not known. Could
affect future pregnancies, inducing
miscarriages and causing malformations
in later children.
Methotrexate was
originally designed to attack fast-growing
cells – such as cancers -
by neutralizing the B vitamin folic
acid necessary for cell division.
Methotrexate attacks the fast growing
cells of the trophoblast as well
– the tissue surrounding the
embryo that eventually turns into
the placenta.
The trophoblast functions
as the “life support”
system for the developing child,
drawing oxygen and nutrients from
the mother’s blood supply
and disposing of carbon dioxide
and waste products. It also produces
the HCG hormone which give the signal
to continue production of progesterone
necessary to prevent breakdown of
the uterine lining and loss of pregnancy. 
Methotrexate initiates disintegration
of that environment. Deprived of
food, oxygen and fluids the baby
dies. 3-7 days later – a suppository
of misoprostal (same prostaglandin
used in RU486) is inserted into
the woman’s vagina to trigger
expulsion of the baby from the uterus.
Sometimes this occurs within the
next few hours, but often a second
dose of prostaglandin is required.
It could take as long as several
weeks. One in 25 still pregnant
are given surgical abortions.
Even doctors who support abortion
are reluctant to prescribe methotrexate
for abortion because of high toxicity
and unpredictable side-effects.
This is a surgical abortion done
in the 2nd trimester through the
24th week. It is similar to the
D&C abortion described above.
The difference is that forceps with
sharp metal jaws are used to grasp
parts of the baby, which are torn
away until the entire body is removed
from the womb. The baby’s
skull is hard bone by now and must
be crushed. Bleeding may be profuse.
This procedure is traumatic for
doctors and nurses.
This hormone is injected prematurely
into the amniotic sac and induces
violent labor and the birth of a
baby too young to survive. Often
salt or another toxin is first injected
to insure a dead baby.
This method is
similar to a cesarean section. An
incision is made in the woman’s
abdomen and uterus and the baby,
placenta and amniotic sac is removed.
The umbilical cord is cut while
the child is still in the womb,
thus cutting off the oxygen supply
and causing him to suffocate.
The “complication” of
a live birth is a significant risk
with this method. Many abortionists
prefer the more effective
partial-birth abortion.
This method offers the highest risk
to the health of the woman, because
the potential for rupture during
subsequent pregnancies is appreciable.
With the legalization
of abortion throughout the entire
nine months of pregnancy, one problem
arose with a late-term abortion
and that was the delivery of a living
baby. The partial-birth abortion
(PBA) procedure was devised to eliminate
that possibility.
»
The baby is turned around so that
she is delivered feet first 
»
The baby’s legs are pulled
out into the birth canal
»
The abortionist delivers the baby’s
entire body, except the head
»
The abortionist jams surgical scissors
into the baby’s skull. The
scissors are then opened to enlarge
the hole.
»
The scissors are removed and a suction
catheter is inserted. The child’s
brains are suctioned out. The baby
is then “evacuated”.
