The Morning After Pill
What is it? Emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill or Plan B) is a high dosage of the birth control pill. It is recommended to be used after sexual intercourse, over a period of 72 hours, to achieve the goal of preventing or ending pregnancy.
How does it work?
The morning-after pill has three possible ways in which it can work:
Ovulation is inhibited, meaning the egg will not be released for fertilization;
The normal menstrual cycle is altered, delaying ovulation; or
It can irritate the lining of the uterus so if the first and second actions fail, and the woman does become pregnant, the tiny baby will die before he or she can actually attach to the lining of the uterus. In other words, if the third action occurs, her body rejects the baby and he or she will die. This is called a chemical abortion.
Side effects include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Infertility
Breast tenderness
Ectopic pregnancy (can be life threatening)
Blood clot formation
Source: Heritage House '76.
RU-486
RU-486 is a drug that produces an abortion. It is taken after the mother misses her period. It can be used up to the second month of pregnancy. It works by blocking progesterone, a crucial hormone during pregnancy. Without progesterone, the uterine lining does not provide food, fluid and oxygen to the developing baby. The baby cannot survive. A second drug is then given that stimulates the uterus to contract and the baby is expelled. Side effects: Women who abort with the drug RU-486 experience:
nausea
severe cramping
vomiting
bleeding
The resulting emotional distress may have even more impact. Rather than being "over with" in a few minutes (as in a surgical abortion) this abortion could last for over a week. Then, when the woman finally does abort, she will expel a tiny dead baby.
Surgical Abortion Methods:
Suction - Aspiration
In this method, the cervical muscle ring must be paralyzed and stretched open. The abortionist then inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like edge into the uterus. The suction tears the baby's body into pieces. The placenta is cut from the uterine wall and everything is sucked into a bottle.
Dilatation & Currettage (D & C)
This is similar to a suction procedure except a curette, a loop-shaped steel knife is inserted into the uterus. The baby and placenta are cut into pieces and scraped out into a basin. Bleeding is usually very heavy with this method.
Dilatation & Evacuation (D & E)
This type of abortion is done after the third month of pregnancy. The cervix must be dilated before the abortion. Usually Laminaria sticks are inserted into the cervix. These are made of sterilized seaweed that is compressed into these sticks. When inserted, they absorb moisture and expand, thus enlarging the cervix. A pliers-like instrument is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. The abortionist then seizes a leg, arm or other part of the baby and, with a twisting motion, tears it from the body. This continues until only the head remains. Finally the skull is crushed and pulled out. The nurse must then reassemble the body parts to be sure that all of them were removed.
Prostaglandin Abortion
Prostaglandin is a hormone that induces labor. The baby usually dies from the trauma of the delivery. However, if the baby is old enough, it will be born alive. This is called a "complication." To prevent this, some abortionists use ultrasound to guide them as they inject a "feticide" (a drug that kills the fetus) into the unborn baby's heart. They then administer prostaglandin and the dead baby is delivered. This type of abortion is used in mid and late term pregnancies.
Dilation & Extraction (D & X)
This abortion procedure is commonly known as partial-birth abortion. This abortion is also used on mid and late term babies, from 4 to 9 months gestation. Ultrasound is used to identify how the unborn baby is facing in the womb. The abortionist inserts forceps through the cervical canal into the uterus and grasps one of the baby's legs, positioning the baby feet first, face down (breech position). The child's body is then pulled out of the birth canal except for the head, which is too large to pass through the cervix. The baby is alive, and probably kicking. The abortionist hooks his fingers over the baby's shoulders, holding the woman's cervix away from the baby's neck. He then jams blunt tipped surgical scissors into the base of the skull and spreads the tips apart to enlarge the wound. A suction catheter is inserted into the baby's skull and the brain is sucked out. The skull collapses and the baby's head passes easily through the cervix.
Source: Heritage House '76.
If you are considering an abortion, it is very important to weigh the physical and emotional risks involved.
For more information on abortion, call 605-361-3500 or 1-800-99-ALPHA.
Alpha Center
801 East 41st Street
Sioux Falls 57105
