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| ABORTIONS SUCK | |||
| <!--Note to editors about intro: This is the product of extensive discussion between many Wikipedians. Please refer to Talk:Abortion/First paragraph and its archives before proposing — or | |||
| making — any substantive changes.--> | |||
| An '''abortion''' is the removal or expulsion from the ] of an ] or ], resulting in or caused by its ]. This can occur spontaneously as a ], or be artificially induced through ], ] or other means. Commonly, "abortion" refers to an induced abortion procedure at any point in the ]; medically, it is defined as a miscarriage or induced termination before twenty weeks ], which is considered ]. | |||
| There have been various methods of inducing abortion throughout ]. The ] and ] aspects of abortion are the subject of intense ] in many parts of the world. | |||
| <!--Note to editors: This article has a long and intense history of terminology debates. Please review the talk page before making changes to lines to see if there is a previous established consensus or compromise. Thank you.--> | |||
| PRO LIFE!@@!@!@!@@@@!@ | |||
| ==Definitions== | |||
| The following medical terms are used to define an abortion: | |||
| * ''Spontaneous abortion (])'': An abortion due to accidental trauma or ]. | |||
| *''Induced abortion'': An abortion deliberately caused. Induced abortions are further subcategorized into therapeutic abortions and elective abortions: | |||
| **''Therapeutic abortion:'' <ref>Roche, Natalie E. (2004). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| *** To save the life of the pregnant woman. | |||
| *** To preserve the woman's physical or mental health. | |||
| *** To terminate a pregnancy that would result in a child born with a ] which would be ] or associated with significant ]. | |||
| *** To ] the number of ]es to lessen health risks associated with ]. | |||
| **''Elective abortion'': An abortion performed for any other reason. | |||
| A pregnancy that ends earlier than 37 completed weeks of gestation, and where an ] is born and survives, is termed a ]. A pregnancy that ends with an infant dead upon birth at any gestational stage, due to causes including spontaneous abortion or complications during delivery, is termed a ]. | |||
| In common parlance, the term "abortion" is synonymous with induced abortion of a human fetus. However, in medical texts, the word 'abortion' can also refer to ''spontaneous abortion'' (miscarriage). | |||
| The distinctions between spontaneous abortion, therapeutic abortion and ] may be blurred. For example, in cases of ] spontaneous abortion may occur, but if it does not, doctors may opt for immediate delivery regardless of the potential viability of the fetus. | |||
| ==Incidence== | |||
| The incidence of and reasons for induced abortion vary in regions in which abortion is generally permitted. It has been estimated approximately 46 million abortions are performed globally each year. Of these, 26 million are said to occur in ]; the other 20 million happen where it is illegal. Some countries, such as ] and the ], have a low rate of induced abortion, while others like ] and ] have a comparatively high rate. <ref>Henshaw, Stanley K., Singh, Susheela, & Haas, Taylor. (1999). . ''International Family Planning Perspectives, 25 (Supplement)'', 30–8. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ] in the ] during 2004.]] | |||
| Rates of abortion also vary depending upon the stage of ] and the method practiced. In 2002, from data collected in those areas of the ] which sufficiently reported ], it was found that 86.7% of abortions were conducted at or prior to 12 weeks, 9.9% from 13 to 20 weeks, and 1.4% at or after 21 weeks. 91.3% percent of these were classified as having been done by "]" (], ], ]), 5.2% by "]" means (]), 0.8% by "intrauterine instillation" (] or ]), and 1.5 % by "other" (] and ]). <ref name="cdc2002">Strauss, Lilo T., Herndon, Joy, Chang, Jeani, Parker, Wilda Y., Bowens, Sonya V., Berg, Cynthia J. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (]). . ''Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report''. Retrieved ].</ref> The ] estimated that there were 2,200 ] procedures in the U.S. during 2000 which would account for only 0.17% of the total number of abortions performed that year. <ref>Finer, Lawrence B. & Henshaw, Stanley K. (2003). . ''Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 35 (1).'' Retrieved ].</ref> Similarly, in ] and ] in 2004, 87.6% of terminations occurred at or under 12 weeks, 10.7% between 13 to 19 weeks, and 1.5% at or over 20 weeks. 76% of those reported were by vacuum aspiration, 4% by D&E, 19% by a chemical agent, and 1% by ]. <ref>Government Statistical Service for the Department of Health. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ] depicting selected data from the 1998 ] ] on the reasons women stated for having an abortion.]] | |||
| A 1998 study aggregated data from studies in 27 countries on the reasons women seek to terminate their pregnancies. It concluded that common factors cited to have influenced the abortion decision were the desire to delay or end ], concern over the interruption of ] or ], issues of financial or relationship stability, and perceived immaturity. <ref>Bankole, Akinrinola, Singh, Susheela, & Haas, Taylor. (1998). . ''International Family Planning Perspectives, 24 (3)'', 117-127 & 152. Retrieved ].</ref> In ] and the ], concern for the health risks posed by pregnancy in individual cases was not a factor commonly given, whereas in ], ], and ] such a concern was found to be more prevalent. A 2004 study in which ] women at ] answered a ] yielded similar results. <ref>Finer, Lawrence B., Frohwirth, Lori F., Dauphinee, Lindsay A., Singh, Shusheela, & Moore, Ann M. (2005). . ''Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37 (3),'' 110-8. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| Some abortions are undergone as the result of societal pressures. These might include the stigmatization of ] persons, preference for children of a specific ], disapproval of ], insufficient economic support for ], lack of access to or rejection of ] methods, or efforts toward ] (such as ]'s ]). A combination of these factors can sometimes result in compulsory abortion or ]. In many areas, especially in ] or where abortion is illegal, women sometimes resort to "]" or ] procedures. The ] suggests that there are 19 million terminations annually which fit its criteria for an ]. <ref name="whounsafe">World Health Organization. (2004). . Retrieved ].</ref> See ] for more information on these subjects. | |||
| ==Forms of abortion== | |||
| ===Spontaneous abortion=== | |||
| {{main|Miscarriage}} | |||
| <!--improve me!--> | |||
| Spontaneous abortions, generally referred to as miscarriages, occur when an embryo or fetus is lost due to natural causes. A miscarriage is spontaneous loss of the embryo or fetus before the 20th week of development. Spontaneous abortions after the 20th week are generally considered to be preterm deliveries. Most miscarriages occur very early in a pregnancy. Approximately 10-50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, depending upon the age and health of the pregnant woman. <ref>"." (n.d.) Retrieved ] from Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology web site.</ref> | |||
| The risk for spontaneous abortion is greater in those with a history of more than three previous (known) spontaneous abortions, those who have had a previous induced abortion, those with systemic diseases, and in women over age 35. | |||
| Other causes can be infection (of either the woman or the fetus), immune responses, or serious systemic diseases of the woman. | |||
| A spontaneous abortion can also be caused by accidental ]; intentional trauma to cause miscarriage is considered an induced abortion. | |||
| ===Induced abortion=== | |||
| A pregnancy can be intentionally aborted in a number of ways. The manner selected depends chiefly upon the ] of the ], in addition to the legality, regional availability, and/or doctor-patient preference for specific procedures. | |||
| ====Surgical abortion==== | |||
| ] may determine which abortion methods are practiced.]] | |||
| In the first fifteen weeks, ] or vacuum abortion is the most common method. '']'', or MVA abortion, consists of removing the ] or ] by suction using a manual ], while the '']'' or EVA abortion method uses an electric ]. These techniques are equivalent, differing only in the mechanism use to apply suction. They are sometimes referred to as ''STOP'': 'Suction (or surgical) Termination of Pregnancy'. From the fifteenth week up until around the twenty-sixth week, a surgical ] (D & E) is used. D & E consists of opening the ] of the ] and emptying it using surgical instruments and suction. | |||
| '']'' (D & C) is a standard gynaecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, including examination of the uterine lining for possible malignancy, investigation of abnormal bleeding, and abortion. '']'' refers to the cleaning of the walls of the ] with a ]. The ] recommends this sort of procedure, also called Sharp Curettage, only when MVA is unavailable. <ref>World Health Organization. (2003). . Retrieved ].</ref> Sharp curettage only accounted for 2.4% of abortion procedures in the US in 2002. <ref name="cdc2002" /> The term "D and C", or perhaps ''suction curette'', etc, is sometimes used as a euphemism to refer to the first trimester abortion procedure, irrespective of the method used to perform the procedure. | |||
| Other techniques must be used to induce abortion in the third ]. Premature delivery can be induced with ]; this can be coupled with injecting the ] with caustic solutions containing ] or ]. Very late abortions can be brought about by ] (intact D & X) (also called ]), which requires the surgical decompression of the fetus's head before evacuation, and is sometimes termed "]." A ], similar to a ] but resulting in a terminated fetus, can also be used at late stages of pregnancy. It can be performed vaginally, with an incision just above the ], in the late mid-trimester. | |||
| From somewhere between the 20th to 23rd week of gestation, an ] to stop the fetal heart can be used as the first phase of the surgical abortion procedure. <ref>Vause S, Sands J, Johnston TA, Russell S, Rimmer S. (2002). PMID 12521492 Could some fetocides be avoided by more prompt referral after diagnosis of fetal abnormality? J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002 May;22(3):243-5. Retrieved ].</ref><ref>Dommergues M, Cahen F, Garel M, Mahieu-Caputo D, Dumez Y. (2003). PMID 12576743 Feticide during second- and third-trimester termination of pregnancy: opinions of health care professionals. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2003 Mar-Apr;18(2):91-7. Retrieved ].</ref><ref>Bhide A, Sairam S, Hollis B, Thilaganathan B. (2002). PMID 12230443 Comparison of feticide carried out by cordocentesis versus cardiac puncture. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2002 Sep;20(3):230-2. Retrieved ].</ref><ref>Senat MV, Fischer C, Bernard JP, Ville Y. (2003). PMID 12628271 The use of lidocaine for fetocide in late termination of pregnancy. BJOG. 2003 Mar;110(3):296-300. Retrieved ].</ref><ref>Senat MV, Fischer C, Ville Y. (2002). PMID 12001185 Funipuncture for fetocide in late termination of pregnancy. Prenat Diagn. 2002 May;22(5):354-6. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ====Chemical abortion==== | |||
| {{main|Chemical abortion}} | |||
| Effective in the first trimester of pregnancy, chemical (also referred to as a medical abortion), or non-surgical abortions comprise 10% of all abortions in the ] and ]. The process begins with the administration of either ] or ], followed by ]. When appropriately used, 98% of women undergoing medical termination of pregnancy will experience completed abortion without surgical intervention. The ] currently approves the use of mifepristone up to 49 days gestation (7 weeks), though evidence based regimens exist for its use up to 61 days gestation with similar success rates. Misoprostol alone can also be used, though it is not FDA approved for this purpose. Misoprostol (Cytotec) alone has the advantage of costing less than one dollar for an effective dose, as opposed to several hundred dollars for an effective dose of mifepristone. In cases of failure of medical abortion, vacuum or manual aspiration is used to complete the abortion surgically. | |||
| ====Other means of abortion==== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Historically, a number of ]s reputed to possess ] properties have been used in ]: ], ], ], and the now-extinct ] (see ]). The use of herbs in such a manner can cause serious — even lethal — side effects, such as ], and is not recommended by ]s. <ref>Ciganda, C., & Laborde, A. (2003). . ''J Toxicol Clin Toxicol, 41(3),'' 235-9. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| Abortion is sometimes attempted through means of trauma to the ]. The degree of force applied, if severe, can cause serious internal injuries without necessarily succeeding in inducing ]. <ref>Education for Choice. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> Both accidental and deliberate abortions of this kind can be subject to criminal liability in many countries. In ], ], ], the ], and ], there is an ancient tradition of attempting abortion through forceful abdominal ]. <ref>Potts, Malcolm, & Campbell, Martha. (2002). . ''Gynecology and Obstetrics'', vol. 6, chp. 8. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| Reported methods of unsafe, ] include the misuse of the ] for ulcers, and the insertion of non-surgical implements such as ]s and ]s into the ]. | |||
| ==Health effects== | |||
| <!--MAJOR REORG NEEDED. Entire section is argumentative, and biased: See Talk. --> | |||
| Early-term surgical abortion is a simple procedure. When performed before the 16th week by competent ]s — or, in some states, ]s, ], and ]s — it is safer than ]. <ref>Cates W., Jr, & Tietze C. (1978). Standardized mortality rates associated with legal abortion: United States, 1972-1975 . ''Family Planning Perspectives, 10 (2)'', 109-12. Retrieved ].</ref> <!-- As I pointed out earlier, listing the negatives of this generally safe procedure first would be biased. --> | |||
| As with most surgical procedures, the most common surgical abortion methods carry a small risk of potentially serious complications. These risks include: a perforated ], perforated ] or ], ], ], and ]. The risk of complications occurring can increase depending on how far the ] has progressed, but remains less than ] that may occur from carrying the pregnancy to term. | |||
| Assessing the risks of induced abortion depend on a number of factors. Firstly, there are relative health risk of induced abortion and pregnancy, which are both affected by wide variation in the quality of health services in different ] and among different ] groups, a lack of uniform ]s of terms, and difficulties in patient follow-up and after-care. The degree of risk is also dependent upon the skill and experience of the practitioner; maternal age, health, and ]; ]; pre-existing conditions; methods and instruments used; ]s used; the skill and experience of those assisting the practitioner; and the quality of recovery and follow-up care. A highly-skilled practitioner of birth and abortion, operating under ideal conditions, will tend to have a low rate of complications; an inexperienced practitioner in an ill-equipped and ill-staffed facility, on the other hand, will often have a higher incidence of complications and could prove fatal in pregnancy, birth, or abortion. | |||
| In the ], the number of deaths due to legal abortion between the years of 1991 and 1993 was 5, as compared to the 9 deaths caused by ] during the same time frame. <ref>Department of Health. (1998). ''.'' London: The Stationery Office. Retrieved ].</ref> In the ], during the year 1999, there were 4 deaths due to legal abortion, 10 due to ], and 525 due to pregnancy-related reasons. <ref>Elam-Evans, Laurie. D., Strauss, Lilo T., Herndon, Joy, Parker, Wilda Y., Bowens, Sonya V., Zane, Suzanne, ''et al.'' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (]). ''.'' Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| <ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| Some practitioners advocate using minimal ] so that the patient can alert them to possible complications. Others recommend ], in order to prevent patient movement, which might cause a perforation. General anesthesia carries its own risks, including death, which is why public health officials recommend against its routine use. | |||
| ] of the ] carries the risk of cervical tears or perforations, including small tears that might not be apparent and might cause ] in future pregnancies. Most practitioners recommend using the smallest possible dilators, and using ] rather than ] dilators after the first ] of pregnancy. | |||
| Instruments are placed within the uterus to remove the fetus. These can, on rare occasions, cause ] or ] of the uterus, and damage to structures surrounding the uterus. Laceration or perforation of the uterus or cervix can, again on rare occasions, lead to even more serious complications. | |||
| Incomplete emptying of the uterus can cause ] and infection. Use of ] verification of the location and duration of the pregnancy prior to abortion, with immediate follow-up of patients reporting continuing pregnancy symptoms after the procedure, will virtually eliminate this risk. The sooner a complication is noted and properly treated, the lower the risk of permanent injury or death. | |||
| In rare cases, the abortion will be unsuccessful and the pregnancy will continue. An unsuccessful abortion can also result in the delivery of a live ], or infant. This, termed a failed abortion, is very rare and can only occur late in the pregnancy. Some doctors faced with this situation have voiced concerns about the ethical and legal ramifications of then letting the neonate die. As a result, recent investigations have been launched in the ] by the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in order to determine how widespread the problem is and what an ethical response in the treatment of the infant might be. <ref>Rogers, Lois. (]). "." ''The Sunday Times.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ] methods (e.g.,use of certain drugs, herbs, or insertion of non-surgical objects into the ]) is potentially dangerous, carrying a significantly elevated risk for permanent injury or death, as compared to abortions done by ]s. | |||
| ===Suggested effects=== | |||
| There is controversy over a number of proposed risks and effects of abortion. Evidence, whether in support of or against such claims, might in part be influenced by the political and religious beliefs of the parties behind it. | |||
| ====Breast cancer==== | |||
| {{Main articles|] and ]}} | |||
| The ''abortion-breast cancer (ABC) hypothesis'' (a.k.a. ABC link) posits a ] between induced ] and an increased risk of developing ]. The hypothesis has not been verified and abortion is not considered an actual breast cancer risk by any major cancer organization. | |||
| In early ] the level of ]s increase and initiates ] ] in preparation for ]. The ABC hypothesis proposes that if this process is interrupted with an abortion – before full differentiation in the third ] – then more relatively vulnerable undifferentiated cells could be left than there were prior to the pregnancy, resulting in a greater potential risk of breast cancer. | |||
| A large ] study done by Dr. Mads Melbye et al. in 1997, with data from two national ] in ], reported the correlation to be negligible to non-existent after ]. <ref>Melbye M., Wohlfahrt, J., Olsen, J.H., Frisch, M., Westergaard, T., Helweg-Larsen, K., ''et al.'' (1997). Induced abortion and the risk of breast cancer. ''New England Journal of Medicine, 336,'' 81-5. Retrieved ] from PubMed.</ref> The ] conducted an official workshop with numerous experts on the issue in February 2003, which concluded with its highest strength rating for the selected evidence it considered that "induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk." <ref>National Cancer Institute. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> Then in 2004, Dr. Beral et al. published a collaborative reanalysis of 53 epidemiological studies and concluded that abortion does "not increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer." <ref>Beral V., Bull D., Doll R., Peto R., Reeves G. (2004). Breast cancer and abortion: collaborative reanalysis of data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 83,000 women with breast cancer from 16 countries. ''The Lancet, 363,'' 1007-16. Retrieved ] from PubMed.</ref> | |||
| Of over 100 experts at the NCI workshop, ], ABC's primary advocate and an invitee to the workshop, filed the only dissenting opinion which criticized the NCI and Melbye conclusions. <ref>Brind, Joel. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> Brind points out the majority of interview-based studies have indicated a link, and some have been demonstrated to be ], <ref></ref> but there remains debate as to their reliability because of possible ]. Most medical professionals agree with the recent research that concludes no ABC association; <ref>American Cancer Society. (]). Retrieved ].</ref> and the ABC issue is seen by some as merely a part of the current ] "woman centered" strategy against abortion. <ref>Pro-Choice Action Network. (2002). . Retrieved ].</ref> Nevertheless, gaps and inconsistencies remain in the research, and the subject continues to be one of mostly political but some scientific contention. <ref>Jasen, Patricia. (2005). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ====Fetal pain==== | |||
| {{main|Fetal pain}} | |||
| The existence or absence of fetal sensation during abortion is a matter of medical, ethical and public policy interest. Evidence is conflicting, with some authorities holding that the fetus is capable of feeling ] from the first ], {{fact}} and others maintaining that the ] requirements for such experience do not exist until the second or third trimester. {{fact}} | |||
| Pain receptors begin to appear in the seventh week of pregnancy. The ], the part of the brain which receives signals from the ] and then relays them to the ], starts to form in the fifth week. However, other anatomical structures involved in the ] process are not present until much later in ]. Links between the thalamus and cerebral cortex aren't forged until around the 23rd week. <ref>Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. (1997). ''.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| Researchers have observed changes in the heart rates and ] of newborn ] after ], ], and surgery — effects which were alleviated with the administration of ]. <ref>Anand, K., Phil, D., & Hickey, P.R. (1987). Pain and its effects on the human neonate and fetus. ''New England Journal of Medicine, 316 (21),'' 1321-9. Retrieved ] from .</ref> Others suggest that the human experience of pain, being more than just ], cannot be measured in such ] responses. | |||
| ====Mental health==== | |||
| Some women will experience negative feelings as a result of their reproductive choices. In the case of abortion, however, whether this phenomenon warrants a general diagnosis, or even classification as an independent ], is debated. ] is listed in neither the ] nor the ]. | |||
| Studies have suggested a link between the elective termination of an unwanted ] and an improvement in reported mental well-being. <ref name="apamental">American Psychological Association. (2005). . Retrieved ] from .</ref> Elective abortion may reduce the occurrence of depression in cases of unwanted pregnancy, as compared to cases in which the pregnancy has been carried to completion, but it is also sometimes reported as an additional ]. <ref name="apamental" /> The majority of evidence would seem to indicate that adverse emotional reactions to the procedure are most strongly influenced by pre-existing ] conditions and other negative factors. <ref name="apamental" /> In cases in which abortion has been denied, it can have a negative, long-lasting outcome for both women and their families. <ref>Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2000). . Retrieved ] from the website.</ref> | |||
| ] on the incidence of ], ], ], and ] in association with abortion remain inconclusive. <ref>Schmiege, S. & Russo, N.F. (2005). Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study . ''British Medical Journal, 331 (7528),'' 1303. Retrieved ].</ref> A comparative analysis of the suicide rates among ] and post-abortive women in ] found a ] correlation between abortion and suicide. <ref>Gissler, M., Hemminki, E., & Lonnqvist, J. (1996). Suicides after pregnancy in Finland, 1987-94: register linkage study . ''British Medical Journal, 313,'' 1431-4. Retrieved ].</ref> Another study, which used data gathered over a 25-year period in ], ], found an increased occurrence of depression, ], suicidal behavior, and ] among women who had previously had an abortion. <ref>Fergusson D.M., Horwood L.J., & Ridder E.M. (2006). . ''Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 47(1),'' 16-24. Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ], or spontaneous abortion, is known to present an increased risk of ] in women. <ref>''.'' (]). Retrieved ].</ref> ] can also sometimes result in ] or ]. | |||
| ==History of abortion== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|History of abortion}} | |||
| The practice of induced abortion, according to some ], can be traced to ancient times. There is evidence to suggest that, historically, pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods, including the administration of ] herbs, the use of sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other techniques. | |||
| ], a 2nd century ] ], suggested in his work '']'' that women wishing to abort their pregnancies should engage in violent exercise, energetic jumping, carrying heavy objects, and riding animals. He also prescribed a number of recipes for herbal bathes, ], and ], but advised against the use of sharp instruments to induce miscarriage due to the risk of organ ]. <ref>Lefkowitz, Mary R. & Fant, Maureen R. (1992). ''.'' Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. Retrieved ].</ref> It is also known that the ancient Greeks relied upon the herb ] as both a ] and an ]. The plant, as the chief export of ], was driven to ], but it is suggested that it might have possessed the same abortive properties as some of its closest extant relatives in the ]. | |||
| Such folk remedies, however, varied in effectiveness and were not without risk. ] and ], for example, are two ]ous ] with serious ] that have at times been used to terminate pregnancy. | |||
| Abortion in the 19th century continued, despite bans in both the ] and the ], as the disguised, but nonetheless open, advertisement of services in the ] suggests. <ref>''.'' (n.d.) Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ==Social issues== | |||
| A number of complex issues exist in the debate over abortion. These, like the suggested effects upon health listed above, are a focus of research and a fixture of discussion among members on all sides the controversy. | |||
| ===Effect upon crime rate=== | |||
| {{Main|legalized abortion and crime effect}} | |||
| A controversial theory attempts to draw a ] between the unprecedented nationwide decline of the overall ] witnessed in the ] during the 1990s and the decriminalization of abortion 20 years prior. | |||
| The suggestion was brought to widespread attention by a 1999 ], '']'', authored by the ]s ] and ]. They attributed the drop in crime to a reduction in individuals said to have a higher statistical probability of committing crimes: unwanted children, especially those born to mothers who are ], ], ], ], and ]. The change coincided with what would've been the adolescence, or peak years of potential criminality, of those who had not been born as a result of '']'' and similar cases. Donohue and Levitt's study also noted that states which legalized abortion before the rest of the nation experienced the lowering crime rate pattern earlier and that those with higher abortion rates had more pronounced reductions. <ref>Donohue, John J. and Levitt, Steven D. (2001). .''Quarterly Journal of Economics.'' Retrieved ]. </ref> | |||
| Fellow economists ] and ] criticized the ] in the Donahue-Levitt study, noting a lack of accommodation for statewide yearly variations such as ] use, and recalculating based on incidence of crime ]; they found no ] results. <ref>Foote, Christopher L. and Goetz, Christopher F. (2005). . ''Working Papers, 05-15''. Retrieved ].</ref> Levitt and Donohue responded to this by presenting an adjusted ] which took into account these concerns but, they claim, maintained the statistical significance of their initial paper. <ref>Donohue, John J. and Levitt, Steven D. (2006). Measurement error, legalized abortion, and the decline in crime: a response to Foote and Goetz (2005). Retrieved ], from University of Chicago, Initiative on Chicago Price Theory web site: .</ref> | |||
| Such research has been criticized by some as being ], ] as to ] and ], and as promoting ]s as a solution to ]. <ref>"Crime-Abortion Study Continues to Draw Pro-life Backlash." (]). ''The Pro-Life Infonet.'' Retrieved ] from .</ref> <ref>"." (2000, January). ''St. Anthony Messenger.'' Retrieved ].</ref> Levitt states in his book, '']'', that they are neither promoting nor negating any course of action – merely reporting data as economists. | |||
| ===Sex-selective abortion=== | |||
| {{Main|sex-selective abortion and infanticide}} | |||
| The advent of both ] and ] has allowed ]s to determine ] before ]. This has lead to the occurrence of ] or the targeted termination of a ] based upon its gender. | |||
| It is suggested that sex-selective abortion might be partially responsible for the noticeable disparities between the ]s of ] and ] children in some places. The preference for male children is reported in many areas of ], and the use of abortion to limit female births has been reported in ], ], ], and ]. <ref>Banister, Judith. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| In ], the ] role of ], the costs associated with ], and a ] tradition which dictates that ] must be performed by a male relative have led to a ] preference for ]s. <ref>Mutharayappa, Rangamuthia, Kim Choe, Minja, Arnold, Fred, & Roy, T.K. (1997). . ''National Family Health Survey Subject Reports, Number 3.'' Retrieved ].</ref> The widespread availability of diagnostic testing, during the 1970s and '80s, lead to advertisements for services which read, "Invest 500 ]s now, save 50,000 rupees later." <ref>Patel, Rita. (1996). The practice of sex selective abortion in India: may you be the mother of a hundred sons. Retrieved ], from University of North Carolina, University Center for International Studies web site: .</ref> In 1991, the male-to-female ] in India was skewed from its biological norm of 105 to 100, to an average of 108 to 100. <ref>Sudha, S., & Irudaya Rajan, S. (1999). . Retrieved ] </ref> Researchers have asserted that between 1985 and 2005 as many as 10 million female fetuses may have been selectively aborted. <ref>Reaney, Patricia. (]). "." ''Reuters AlertNet.'' Retrieved ].</ref> The Indian government passed an official ban of pre-natal sex screening in 1994 and moved to pass a complete ban of sex-selective abortion in 2002. <ref>Mudur, Ganapati. (2002). "." ''British Medical Journal: News Roundup.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| In the ], there is also a historic son preference. The implementation of the ] in 1979, in response to population concerns, led to an increased disparity in the sex ratio as parents attempted to circumvent the law through sex-selective abortion or the abandonment of unwanted ]s. <ref>Graham, Maureen J., Larsen, Ulla, & Xu, Xiping. (1998). . ''International Family Planning Perspectives, 24 (2).'' Retrieved ].</ref> Sex-selective abortion might be a part of what is behind the shift from the baseline male-to-female birth rate to an elevated national rate of 117:100 reported in 2002. The trend was more pronounced in rural regions: as high as 130:100 in ] and 135:100 in ]. <ref>Plafker, Ted. (]). . ''British Medical Journal: News Roundup.'' Retrieved ].</ref> A ban upon the practice of sex-selective abortion was enacted in 2003. <ref>"." (]). ''Xinhua News Agency.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ===Unsafe abortion=== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|Unsafe abortion}} | |||
| Where and when access to safe abortion has been barred, due to explicit sanctions or general unavailability, women seeking to terminate their pregnancies have sometimes resorted to unsafe methods. | |||
| "]" is a ] term for any abortion not practiced under generally accepted standards of ] and ]. The ] defines an unsafe abortion as being, "a procedure...carried out by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards, or both." <ref name="whounsafe" /> This can include a person without medical training, a professional health provider operating in sub-standard conditions, or the woman herself. | |||
| Unsafe abortion remains a ] concern today due to the higher incidence and severity of its associated complications, such as incomplete abortion, ], ], and damage to internal organs. <b>WHO</b> estimates that 19 million unsafe abortions occur around the world annually and that 68,000 of these result in the death of the woman. <ref name="whounsafe" /> Complications of unsafe abortion are said to account, globally, for approximately 13% of all ], with regional estimates including 12% in ], 25% in ], and 13% in ]. <ref>Salter, C., Johnson, H.B., and Hengen, N. (1997). . ''Population Reports, 25 (1).'' Retrieved ].</ref> ], access to ], and improvements in ] during and after abortion have been proposed to address this phenomenon. <ref>World Health Organization. (1998). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ==Abortion debate== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ] at the ].]] | |||
| {{main|Abortion debate}} | |||
| Over the course of the ], induced abortions have been a source of considerable ] and ] regarding the morality and legality of this practice. An individual's position on the complex ], ], ], ], and ] issues have a strong relationship with that individual's ]. A person's position on abortion may be best described as a combination of their personal beliefs on the morality of abortion, and that person's beliefs on the ethical scope and responsibility of legitimate ]al and legal ]. Another factor for many individuals is ] doctrine (see ]). | |||
| Abortion debates, especially pertaining to ]s, are often spearheaded by ] belonging to one of two camps. Most often those in favor of legal prohibition of abortion describe themselves as ] while those against legal restrictions on abortion describe themselves as ]. Both are used to indicate the central principles in arguments for and against abortion: "Is the fetus a human being with a fundamental right to ''life''?" for pro-life advocates, and, for those who are pro-choice, "Does a woman have the right to ''choose'' whether or not to have an abortion?" | |||
| In both public and private debate, arguments presented in favor of or against abortion focus on either the moral permissibility of an induced abortion, or justification of ] permitting or restricting abortion. Arguments on morality and legality tend to collide and combine, complicating the issue at hand. | |||
| Debate also focuses on whether the ] woman should have to notify and/or have the ] of others in distinct cases: a ] her parents; a ] or ] wife her husband; or a pregnant woman the biological father. In a 2003 ] poll in the ], 72% of respondents were in favor of spousal notification, with 26% opposed; of those polled, 79% of males and 67% of females responded in favor. <ref>The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. (]). "." ''Pew Research Center Pollwatch.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ===Public opinion=== | |||
| Political sides have largely been divided into ]. The abortion debate, as such, tends to center around individuals who hold strong positions. However, public opinion varies from poll to poll, country to country, and region to region: | |||
| *'''Australia''': In a February ] ] poll, as reported in ], 56% thought the ], which generally allow abortion for the sake of life or health, were "about right," 16% want changes in law to make abortion "more accessible," and 17% want changes to make it "less accessible." <ref>Grattan, Michelle. (]). "." ''The Age.'' Retrieved ].</ref> A 1998 poll, conducted by Roy Morgan Research, asked, "Do you approve of the termination of unwanted pregnancies through surgical abortion?" 65% of the ] polled stated that they approved of surgical abortion and 25% stated that they disapproved of it. <ref>Roy Morgan International. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| * '''Canada''': A recent poll of ], conducted in April 2005 by ], found that 52% of those polled want abortion laws to "remain the same," 20% want the laws to be "less strict," and 24% would prefer that the laws become "more strict." An earlier Gallup poll, from December 2001, asked, "Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances and in what circumstances?" 32% of Canadians responded that they believe abortion should be legal in all circumstance, 52% that it should be legal in certain circumstances, and 14% that it should be legal in no circumstances. Canada currently has no laws restricting abortion. See ]. | |||
| *'''Ireland''': A 1997 ]/MRBI poll of the ]'s electorate found that 18% believe that abortion should never be permitted, 35% that one should be allowed in the event that the woman's life is threatened, 18% if her health is at risk, 28% that "an abortion should be provided to those who need it," and 5% were undecided. <ref>Kennedy, Geraldine. (]). "." ''The Irish Times.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| * '''United Kingdom''': An online ]/] poll in August 2005 found that 30% of ] would back a measure to reduce the legal limit for abortion to 20 weeks, 19% support a limit of 12 weeks, 9% support a limit of less than 12 weeks, and 25% support maintaining the current limit of 24 weeks. 6% responded that abortion should never be allowed while 2% said it should be permitted throughout the entirety of pregnancy. <ref>YouGov. (]). . Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| * '''United States''': In a January 2006 ] poll, which asked, "What is your personal feeling about abortion?", 27% said that abortion should be "permitted in all cases," 15% that it should be "permitted, but subject to greater restrictions than it is now," 33% said that it should be "permitted only in cases such as rape, incest or to save the woman's life," 17% said that it should "only be permitted to save the woman's life," and 5% said that it should "never" be permitted. <ref>''.'' (2006). Retrieved ].</ref> An April 2006 ] poll on '']'', asked, "Do you favor or oppose the part of ''Roe v. Wade'' that made abortions up to three months of pregnancy legal?", to which 49% of respondents indicated favor while 47% indicated opposition. <ref> Harris Interactive. (]). "." ''The Wall Street Journal.'' Retrieved ].</ref> | |||
| ==Abortion law== | |||
| {{Main articles|], ]}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] ] signs the ''Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003'']] | |||
| Before the scientific discovery that human development began at fertilization, British common law allowed abortions to be performed before quickening, the earliest perception of fetal movement by a woman during the second trimester of pregnancy. In 1861, the ] passed the ], which outlawed abortion throughout the ]. The ], with legislation in 1920, and ] with legislation in 1935 were some of the first countries to generally allow abortion. The second half of the 20th century saw the liberalization of abortion laws in other countries. The ] allowed abortion for limited reasons in the United Kingdom. In the 1973 case, '']'', the ] struck down state laws banning abortion in the first trimester, ruling that such laws violated an implied ] in the ]. The ], similarly, in the case of '']'', discarded its criminal code regarding abortion in 1988, after ruling that such restrictions violated the security of person guaranteed to women under the ] Canada later struck down provincial regulations of abortion in the case of ''].'' ], on the other hand has been affected by the addition of an ] to its ] in 1983 by popular ], recognizing "the right to life of the unborn". | |||
| Current laws pertaining to abortion are diverse. Religious, moral, and cultural sensibilities continue to influence abortion laws throughout the world. The ], the right to ], and the right to ] are major issues of ] that are sometimes used as justification for the existence or the absence of laws controlling abortion. Many countries in which abortion is legal require that certain criteria be met in order for an abortion to be obtained, often, but not always, using a ]-based system to regulate the window in which abortion is still legal to perform: | |||
| * In the United States, some states impose a 24-hour waiting period before the procedure, prescribe the distribution of information on ], or require that parents be contacted if their ] daughter requests an abortion. | |||
| * In the United Kingdom, as in some other countries, two doctors must first certify that an abortion is medically or socially necessary before it can be performed. | |||
| Other countries, in which abortion is illegal, will allow one to be performed in the case of ], ], or danger to the pregnant woman's life or health. A handful of nations ban abortion entirely, such as ], ], and ]. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
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| ==References== | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
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Revision as of 19:07, 24 May 2006
ABORTIONS SUCK
PRO LIFE!@@!@!@!@@@@!@