Page 1

Abortion

Page 2

• is the premature expulsion of fetus or child prior to normal birth. – either spontaneous or induced termination.

miscarriage intentional expulsion or removal of the same from

the womb

Page 3

PHILIPPINE CONTEXT

• drinking of bitter herbs originating from tree leaves and roots to induce abortion

• Seeking the help of a local hilot to massage the pregnant woman’s abdomen

• Presence of peddlers selling all kinds of leaves, roots, vines, and shrubs on both sides of Quiapo Church

Page 4

FIVE TYPES OF ABORTION:

1. Natural abortion: the expulsion of the fetus through natural or accidental causes. Also known as spontaneous or accidental abortion / miscarriage. Devoid of moral significance since it is involuntary or unintentional.

2. Direct or intentional abortion: refers to the deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus before it is viable. The intention makes the act voluntary.

Page 5

3. Therapeutic abortion: which is the deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus in order to save the mother from the danger of death brought on by pregnancy.

4. Eugenic abortion: recommended in cases where certain defects are discovered in the developing fetus. Also known as selective abortion or abortion on fetal indications.

Page 6

5. Indirect abortion: the removal of the fetus occurs as a secondary effect of a legitimate or licit action, which is the direct and primary object of the intention. This is an instance of the double effect principle which applies to a situation where a good effect as well as an evil effect will result from a good cause. Examples are ectopic pregnancy and cancerous uterus.

Page 7

A physician and a nurse, or midwife, are criminally liable for causing an abortion or assisting in causing the same by taking advantage of their scientific knowledge and skills. However, if the abortion is done to save the life of the mother, there is no criminal liability. This is known as therapeutic abortion. But abortion, without medical necessity to warrant, is legally and morally punishable, even with the consent of the woman or her husband.

Page 8

Potential Reasons:

• If the fetus is allowed to develop normally and come to term, the pregnant woman herself will die;

• It is not the woman’s life, but her health, physical or mental, that will be severely endangered, if the pregnancy is allowed to continue;

• The pregnancy will probably or surely produce a severely impaired child;

Page 9

• Pregnancy is an outcome of rape or incest;

• The pregnant woman is unmarried, and there will be the social stigma of illegitimacy;

• Having a child or another child will be an unbearable financial burden; and

• Having a child will interfere with the happiness of the woman, the joint happiness of the couple, or the family as a unit.

Page 10

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Zygote: is the cell or group of cells that results from the union of the sperm and egg cells

Embryo: refers to the developing human individual from the second through the seventh week of gestation or pregnancy

Fetus: refers to the developing human individual from the eighth week until birth

Page 11

Child: is normally used after the fetus is born. However, it is also often used by strong prolife advocates to refer to the developing human individual from shortly after conception.

Conceptus: means that which has been conceived. It is a neutral term used to refer to the developing human individual from conception until birth, thus avoiding the many emotional overtones given to other terms by both sides of the abortion issue.

Page 12

Viability: occurs somewhere between the twenty-sixth and twenty-eighth week of gestation when the conceptus is considered viable, that is, able to survive outside of the mother’s womb. Birth usually occurs between the 39th and 40th weeks of pregnancy.

Amniocentesis: A procedure performed on the sixteenth week of pregnancy where a needle is inserted into the amniotic sac, where the conceptus is gestating, and some of the amniotic fluid is withdrawn from which information about the conceptus is drawn e.g. sex and abnormalities

Page 13

PRINCIPLES

Value of Life Principle: basically in relation to unborn life, but also in relation to the life of the mother.

Principle of Individual Freedom: the mother’s right over her own body, procreativity, and life.

Page 14

When does human life begin?

Developmental view: recognizes that life is present from the conception but allows for the possibility that there may be later different point at which such a life can be considered human

Page 15

Arguments Against Abortion

1. The genetic view of the beginning of human life.

2. The sanctity of life argument.• States that every unborn, innocent child

must be regarded as a human person with all the rights of a human person from the moment of conception onward.

3. The domino argument.• States that individual killings, mass

tortures and genocide began with the legalization of abortion.

Page 16

4. The dangers of abortion to the mother’s life.

a. Medical dangers: involves an intru-sion into the woman’s

vagina and womb that involves some danger to her body. Various methods used in abortion are the following:

a.1. Dilatation and curettage (D&C): the woman’s

cervix is dilated, and a sharp curette, a kind of scalpel, is used to scrape the entire uterine cavity.

Page 17

a.2 Uterine aspiration: a suction machine (aspirator), which consists of a plastic

instrument at the end of a hose, is used to “aspirate,” or suction off, the conceptus and related material. Like the D & C, this is generally used prior to the 12th week of pregnancy.

Page 18

a.3. Hysterectomy: after the 12th week of pregnancy, a miniature caesarean section can be

performed. An incision is made in the abdominal wall and the conceptus and related material are removed, after which the incision is closed.

Page 19

a.4. Saline abortion: is usually performed during later pregnancies (after the 12th),

and is usually preferred over hysterectomy). In this proce dure, a needle is inserted through the abdominal wall

into the amniotic sac, where the conceptus is floating. Some

of the amniotic fluid is drawn off and replaced by a glucose, saline, or prostaglandin solution. In about twenty

hours, the woman goes into labor and usually delivers a dead fetus.

Page 20

a.5. Self-induced abortion: the most dangerous of all

abortions because they are not done under proper medical supervision. Infections and hemorrhaging,

complications which can kill both the fetus and the

woman are usually the outcome.

Page 21

Aside from potential dangers, abortion increases a woman’s chances of having miscarriages in later pregnancies; especially for young girls who have had an abortion. Also, repeated abortions increases the level of danger.

Page 22

b. Psychological dangers: the woman has to live with a great deal of guilt

5. The relative safety of pregnancy.

6. The existence of viable alternatives to abortion.

7. The irrelevance of economic considerations

8. Responsibility for sexual activities.

9. Rape and incest.

Page 23

ARGUMENTS FOR ABORTION

1. Absolute rights of women over their own bodies.

2. Birth as the beginning of human life.

3. The problem of unwanted or deformed children.• Adoption as a poor solution.• Lack of humane institutions.

4. The relative safety of abortion.• The medical aspect.• The psychological aspect.

Page 24

5. Refutation of the domino argument.

6. The danger of pregnancy to the mother’s life.

7. Rape and incest.

8. Responsibility for sexual activities.

9. Abortion as the woman’s choice.

Page 25

DEFINITION OF TERMS

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

Page 26

Second Page

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."