Medical Issues Regarding Therapeutic Abortion
Medical Issues Introduction Definitions Reasons Procedures |
Why will a woman obtain a therapeutic abortion?
Considering the extent to which commentators in the news media, especially in the United States, discuss legal protections in abortion regulations for protecting the women's life, it is clear that such circumstances do in fact exist. As generally described below, there are circumstances in which a pregnant woman cannot come to term and deliver the baby such that both the mother and the child remain alive or in good physical or mental health. Generally speaking, there are five reasons why a pregnant woman would receive a therapeutic abortion, as identified by Natalie E. Roche, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey: (1) to ensure the life of the pregnant woman, (2) to ensure the mental or physical health of the pregnant woman, (3) to prevent the birth of a child with significant birth defects either "incompatible with life or associated with significant morbidity," (4) to end a pregnancy that cannot carry through to term, and (5) to selectively reduce the number of fetuses in cases of multiple pregnancy. On this page, we will look at each reason more closely. When is a pregnant woman's life in danger as a result of pregnancy? A pregnant woman's physical health may be threatened for a variety of reasons. A woman's severe hypertensive or cardiac disorder could make it incredibly difficult for her to carry a fetus and eventually deliver it, considering the stress pregnancy puts on the body. In extreme cases, an attempted delivery could result in cardiac arrest. One condition not necessarily related to any disease in which a woman must obtain a therapeutic abortion is ectopic pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg typically settles within a fallopian tube, although it can also settle in the ovary, abdomen, or cervix, as opposed to its normal location in the uterine lining. The location of the embryo can be discovered by taking an ultrasound. In cases of ectopic pregnancy, the woman cannot come to term and cannot give birth, and a therapeutic abortion is required to remove the embryo and to save the woman's life. Only extremely rarely can a woman deliver a baby following an ectopic pregnancy. This is impossible when the cells develop in the fallopian tube. Approximately twelve cases worldwide in which an ectopic woman gave birth are on record. In August 2005, an English woman delivered a baby by Caesarean section. Neither the woman nor the physicians knew she had an ectopic pregnancy beforehand. When does a therapeutic abortion treat a woman's physical or mental health, besides cases in which pregnancy itself threatens the mother's life? A therapeutic abortion could also be the necessary result of an operation or other treatment for certain maligancies. Most common, according to Dr. Roche, is surgery or radiation to treat invasive cervical cancer, both of which cause the pregnancy to terminate, but without them, the mother most likely could not overcome the cancer. Other conditions, according to Dr. Roche, which causes medical complications for pregnancies include diabetes, thyroid diseases, GI tract disorders, and infectious diseases. The medical need for therapeutic abortion depends upon the extent to which the condition affects the pregnancy Mental health is more of a gray area, considering the difference in legal protections for mental health worldwide, but that will be discussed in the legal section of this site. Without getting into the country-by-country specifics, a woman may obtain a therapeutic abortion if the continued pregnancy or delivery could negatively impact her mental health. For instance, for a woman who is pregnant as a result of rape, and developed a psychological disorder as a result of the rape, the continued pregnany or delivery may be too psychologically traumatizing. A specific example of such a psychological disorder would be post-traumatic stress disorder. What are some significant birth defects? Birth defects, or congenital disorders, also are somewhat of a gray area because they can range from such minor physical anomolies as birthmarks to far more complicated genetic disorders (e.g. sickle-cell anemia) or life-threatening heart conditions. Generally, when people discuss therapeutic abortions in regard to birth defects, they only refer to defects that would cause great harm to the life or well-being of the baby. Why would a woman selectively reduce the number of fetuses in a multiple pregnancy? A multiple pregnancy increases the likelihood of premature births and low birth weights. A woman may reduce the number of fetuses to reduce the risk of such occurrences. It should be noted that selective reduction is a specific kind of therapeutic abortion, with a specific kind of treatment. We will next discuss the different treatments and procedures used in therapeutic abortions. |