Abortion Essay Research Paper AbstractAbortion the ending — страница 2

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cervix and leads to contractions that help dislodge and expel the embryo. This procedure will only work during the first 9 weeks of pregnancy, or up to 63 days of last menstrual cycle. Apparently, the women?s own progesterone level is too high to be affected by the drug if it?s done later. It is administered through several clinic visits; it is not a do-it-yourself pill (RU 486, 1996). This method takes place over a span of several days. There are two methods that can be used to induce surgical abortion. The most common method is to open the cervix slightly (entrance to uterus) and remove the contents of the uterus (this includes the placenta and fetus). They may use a small suction machine to empty contents of uterus or dilation. . A woman is considered to be in her first

trimester if less than 13 to 15 weeks have passed since her last menstrual period, this is when this method takes place. The second method is used less frequently, mainly when pregnancies are over 22 weeks. This method involves inducing labor so that the fetus and placenta are expelled as in childbirth. The entire surgical procedure of emptying uterus takes 5 to 10 minutes. There are some women that experience pain, sort of like the menstrual-type cramping, but nothing that is that painful (What is surgical abortion, 1995). The Roe vs. Wade court case arose out of a Texas law that prohibited legal abortion except to save a woman?s life. Jane Roe, a 21-year-old pregnant woman, represented all women who wanted abortions but couldn?t obtain them legally and safely. The Texas

Attorney General, Henry Wade, defended the law that made abortions illegal. The Supreme Court made their decision to make abortion legal. This ruling on January 22, 1973 opened the way to more than thirty-one million legal abortions. The Supreme Court ruled that American?s right to privacy included the right of a woman and her doctor to make that decision without state interference, at least in the first trimester of pregnancy. They wanted to balance a woman?s rights and the states? interest to protect the woman and the life of the fetus. They did this in the following way: (a) For about the first 13 weeks, state laws and regulations may not interfere with woman?s right to end pregnancy through abortion. (b) For 14 to 24 weeks, state laws may regulate abortion procedures in order

to protect woman?s health. (c) After 24 weeks, when fetus is viable, state laws may prohibit abortion except when it is necessary to preserve the health or life of a woman (Celebrating 25 years, 1995). The Roe vs. Wade had a deep impact on the daily lives of women. Without legal abortion, all women?s health was threatened. Thousands of women died in back alleys from illegal abortion, and thousands more suffered serious medical complications. After Roe, access to legal abortion turned a dangerous experience into a safe and legitimate health care option (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995). American Civil Liberties Union stated that ?The movement to newly restrict reproductive choice is?.a grave threat to all Americans? cherished right to privacy, bodily integrity and religious liberty?

(Roleff, 1997, p. 66) In the early 1970?s many women had to travel outside their states of residence to obtain abortion. Traveling outside the state hurt the women who were poor. Before Roe vs. Wade there were 3 states that prohibited all abortions, and there were 4 states that permitted abortion for any reason (Craig & O?Briem, 1993). Today, abortion is legal but the states have put restrictions on abortions such as: mandatory waiting periods, ?informed consent? requirements, parental consent regulations, and weakening the standard which further constraints will be judged. These restrictions hit the low-income women hardest, along with any women who depend on the state for their health care (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995). In. conclusion, the decision made in the case Roe vs.

Wade launched the debate that modern society still deals with everyday. The House, Senate, and even the President are face with bills and laws pertaining to abortion almost everyday. These people have helped set standards in this issue such as parental notification, parental consent, and they have made late-term abortions illegal unless the mother?s physical or emotional health are at risk. They have also approved some standards in some states such as a mandatory waiting period and two visitations to the clinic before having the abortion. There are many different types of abortion ranging from a simple pill to sucking out the contents of the uterus. In my own personal opinion, I think abortion is murder. Whether the fetus can live outside of its mother or not, it is still a human