Abortion Procedures
The following is a brief description of each of the most common abortions completed in each stage of pregnancy.
RU-486 Medical Abortion
This process involves a series of pills that induce chemical abortion. It must be used within 49 days from the first day of your last period. The first pill, mifepristone, depletes the lining of the uterus. It prevents the hormone progesterone from working, and the blood supply to the developing embryo shuts off. This makes the embryo suffocate to death. You must return to the doctor two days later to receive the second pill, prostaglandin, which is taken to induce labor, causing you to deliver the embryo. A third visit to the doctor is needed to make sure that the abortion has been completed. 5 to 10 percent still require surgical abortion after this process.
Some side effects include nausea, vomiting, possible infection (RU-486 suppresses the immune system), hemorrhaging, miscarriage or birth defects of future children, impaired future fertility, heart attack, and death.
First Trimester Abortion
Manual Vacuum Aspiration
The cervical muscle is stretched with dilators (metal rods of varying sizes) until the opening is wide enough to allow the abortion instruments to pass into the uterus. A hand held syringe is attached to tubing that is inserted into the uterus. The fetus is suctioned out.
Suction Curettage
The doctor opens the cervix with a dilator or laminaria, which are made of thin sticks derived from plants. They are inserted hours before the procedure. The doctor inserts tubing into the uterus and connects the tubing to a suction machine. The suction pulls the fetus' body apart and out of the uterus. One variation of this procedure is call Dilation and Curettage (D&C). In this method, the doctor may use a curette, a loop-shaped knife, to scrape the fetal parts out of the uterus.
Second Trimester Abortion
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
Because the developing fetus doubles in size between the 11th and 12th week of pregnancy, the body of the fetus is too large to be broken up by suctions and will not pass through the suction tubing. In this procedure, the cervix must be opened wider than in the first trimester abortion. This is done be inserting laminaria a day or two before the abortion. After opening the cervix, the doctor pulls out the fetal parts with forceps. The fetus' skull is crushed to make it easier to remove.
Late Second and Third Trimester Abortion
Dilation and Extraction (D&X or Partial Birth)
This procedure takes three days. During the first two days, the cervix is dilated and medication is given for cramping. On the third day, the woman receives medication to start labor. After labor begins, the abortion doctor uses an ultrasound machine to locate the baby's legs. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the baby up to the baby's head. Next, scissors are inserted into the base of the skull to create an opening. A suction catheter is placed into the opening to remove the skull contents. The skull collapses and the baby is removed.
Resources: Care Net, American Life League, Focus on the Family |
