Introduction to Best Facts About Abortion
Every person, whether a man or woman, on this planet, has the right to gain access to proper healthcare. Women’s health issues are often seen as a matter of subject due to which some women don’t feel comfortable talking about their issues openly.
However, with the changing trends and the medical advancements taking place, women have been able to gain confidence and demand equal rights for them.
A situation such as unplanned pregnancy can make a woman consider for an abortion. While it may be a difficult situation to deal with emotionally, abortion still remains one of the safest medical procedures for the termination of unplanned or unwanted pregnancies.
Remember the case of Savita Halappanavar who was denied an abortion during a miscarriage? Dr. Halappanavar’s death in 2012 spurred Ireland’s Abortion Rights Campaign as campaigners took themselves to the streets calling for an end to the ban on abortion.
This tragic incident forced the Irish government to make amends to the Eight Amendment Act which was introduced in 1983.
There are similar stories that do not see the light of the day only because of such laws and regulations that deny a woman from getting an abortion.
With so many myths and misconceptions taking over this widely debated topic, it becomes essential to ponder upon the facts about abortion. Here are 5 facts about abortion that everyone should know.
Abortions are Pretty Common! A Ban Won’t Stop Them from Happening
Best Facts About Abortion Guttmacher Institute (a US-based reproductive health non-profit) reports that 30% of American women will have an abortion by the time they turn 45.
The reason it is stigmatized so much is why women don’t feel comfortable talking about it. In countries that prohibit abortion altogether, the abortion rate is 37 per 1,000 people.
On the other hand, the abortion rate is 34 per 1,000 people in countries that allow abortion. These statistics hardly make any difference.
Ending a pregnancy is pretty common and prohibiting it won’t stop it from happening. There are a dozen reasons why women choose to end their pregnancies.
Some of these include interference with the woman’s work or education, inability to take care of the baby because of existing children, and lack of financial resources.
Prohibiting an abortion just puts more stress on a woman’s shoulders. As a result, women resort to unsafe practices which leads to complications or death.
There are Various Abortion Procedures Available
Getting an abortion is pretty easy. Get an appointment from your doctor and she’ll run a diagnosis to determine the stage of pregnancy.
If the pregnancy is in its first trimester, it can be terminated easily with the help of medication abortion. Medication abortion involves the use of abortion pills such as RU486 (known as Mifepristone) and Cytotec (known as Misoprostol) that help to terminate the pregnancy by expelling the pregnancy tissue from the uterus.
These are given to you at the time of your visit to the doctor. Most women choose to go with medication abortion since it’s private and can be performed at the comfort of their home or anywhere.
A combi pack of these medicines under the name MTP Kit is available that contains 1 tablet of Mifepristone 200 mg and 4 tablets of Misoprostol 200 mcg. You can easily get MTP Kit online from a reputed online pharmacy with the help of a doctor’s prescription.
While medication abortion is helpful for the termination of first-trimester pregnancy, a surgical abortion can be performed even if the pregnancy is in its second trimester. It involves a medical professional who performs surgery to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.
Around 89% of abortions take place in the first trimester (which encompasses the first 12 weeks). As pregnancy advances, the process of termination takes more time to complete.
Death and Injuries From Unsafe Abortions Can Be Prevented
There are countries where access to proper healthcare is the need of the hour. A majority of countries where access to safe abortion is limited or denied leads to a large number of deaths. This occurs because women with unwanted pregnancies are unable to gain access to legal abortion.
In some countries with restrictions, there are certain exceptions to this case. A pregnancy that occurs due to an incident such as rape, or if there’s a case of fatal fetal impairment and the life of a pregnant woman is at risk can be terminated legally.
A small percentage of abortions occur due to these reasons and women who have to abide by such laws might be forced to resort to unsafe practices and put their lives at stake.
As stated by the World Health Organization, to avoid maternal deaths and injuries, it needs to be ensured that people have access to sex education, are aware of contraception methods, can have a safe and legal abortion, and are given proper treatment during complications.
There are multiple pieces of evidence that show that abortion rates are higher in countries where there is limited access to contraception. Abortion rates are lower in places where people have information and access to contraception.
Criminal and Prohibitive Abortion Laws Prevent Doctors from Doing Their Job
The restrictive laws on abortion prevent doctors from providing the right form of treatment to their patients and do their job properly. Healthcare providers are forced to abide by the laws which they often don’t understand deeply.
A woman from Ireland who had life-threatening conditions such as pulmonary atresia and pulmonary hypertension was denied abortion due to the country’s strict abortion laws.
Even doctors are familiar with the fact that if women with pulmonary hypertension become pregnant, there’s a high probability of them being gravely ill or dying due to pregnancy.
The laws that consider abortion as a criminal activity need to be lifted. A doctor who’s aware that a person might die or her health would deteriorate during the process of pregnancy should have the right to give proper treatment to the person.
Access to Safe Abortion – A Matter of Human Rights!
Best Facts About Abortion The International Human Rights Law states that every person has the right to life, right to health, right to be free from violence, discrimination, torture, or cruel or inhuman treatment. Therefore, access to safe abortion is a human right.
As given in the human rights law, “The decisions about your body are yours alone.”
No one has the right to force anyone to continue their unwanted pregnancy or force them to go for unsafe abortion. This is a complete violation of human rights – of both privacy and bodily autonomy.
There are cases where women have no choice but to resort to unsafe abortions. This leads to prosecution and imprisonment. They may face cruel and degrading treatment and may be excluded from getting post-abortion care.
Teodora del Carmen Vasquez, a lady from El Salvador spent 10 years in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She gave birth to a dead baby and was found guilty as per the court for having an illegal abortion.
Access to abortion is, therefore, a fundamental right of every individual for achieving social and gender justice. Online healthcare platforms such as His blue make sure that women get access to safe abortion and that proper treatment is given to them when needed.
However, it should be noted that abortion shouldn’t be seen as a means of contraception. Women should be made aware of the birth control pills that are available and should use possible contraception methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
