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Essay on Abortion

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Abortion Women may have an abortion for a variety of reasons, but in general they choose abortion because a pregnancy at that time is in some way wrong for them. “Abortion is the removal of a fetus from the uterus before it is mature enough to live on its own” (Kuechler 1996). When this happens spontaneously we call it a miscarriage. Induced abortion is brought about deliberately by a medical procedure that ends pregnancy. Legal abortion, carried out by trained medical practitioners, is one of the most common and safest surgical procedures. “About 1.5 million American women choose to have induced abortions each year. Less than 1% of all abortion patients experience a major complication associated with the procedure” (Kuechler 1996). …show more content…

After that, surgical abortion may be the safest and best option. Methotrexate has been used in the US since 1953, when it was approved by the FDA to treat certain types of cancer. Since that time, “medical researchers have discovered other important uses for the drug” (Ankerberg and Weldon 4). One of these uses is to end unintended pregnancies. Although the “FDA did not consider methotrexate for this specific purpose, clinicians may prescribe and are now prescribing methotrexate for early abortion”(Ankerberg and Weldon 4). Methotrexate is usually given to a pregnant woman in the form of an injection or shot, although it can be taken orally. “Methotrexate stops the ongoing implantation process that occurs during the first several weeks after conception. Another medication that might be used is mifepristone”(Ankerberg and Weldon 4). Mifepristone is a newer medication that was developed and tested specifically as an abortion inducing agent. It works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary to sustain pregnancy. Without this hormone, “the lining of the uterus breaks down, the cervix opening of the uterus or womb softens, and bleeding begins”(Ankerberg and Weldon 5). A few days after taking either methotrexate or mifepristone, a second drug, misoprostol, is taken. “Misoprostol tablets cause the uterus to contract and empty”(Ankerberg and Weldon 5).

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