Catechism - Part II

PART II

What is Abortion?

1. What is abortion?

Answer: The Latin root for abortion, aborior, means to perish by untimely death. Abortion is defined as an "the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus: as a: spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus [see miscarriage below] b: induced expulsion of a human fetus” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2000).

2. What is a miscarriage?

Answer: A miscarriage is a natural and spontaneous abortion. Usually, the growing baby has died because of abnormalities within itself or its placenta (afterbirth). After this has occurred, the uterus (womb) automatically goes into labor and expels the dead baby and placenta.

3. Is a miscarriage dangerous?

Answer: Miscarriages are usually safe and natural. Sometimes there is excessive bleeding or incomplete expulsion from the uterus of the placenta requiring hospitalization during which the surgeon gently dilates the cervix and scrapes the decaying components of the placenta out of the uterus with a spoon-shaped instrument known as a curet. Infection is rare. The surgical procedure is called a therapeutic Dilatation and Curettage (D & C).

4. What is an induced abortion?

Answer: An induced abortion is an unnatural removal of the fetus from the uterus caused by various methods.

5. What are some examples of induced abortion?

Answer: Some forms of hormonal “contraception,” RU-486, IUD contraception, suction aspiration, dilatation and curettage, dilatation and evacuation, salt poisoning, prostaglandin injection, hysterotomy, and partial-birth abortion.

6. What about hormonal “contraception” (“morning after” pill, implants, birth control pills)?

Answer: Although often advertised as contraceptives, some of these actually cause an abortion by producing an unfavorable uterine lining and preventing implantation of an already developing human being. The “morning after” pill, under brand names such as Preven, are really high doses of contraceptive pills. These definitely function by preventing implantation. The mechanism of action of implants, such as NORPLANT, is stated by experts as “only partially explained.” One of the proposed mechanisms, however, is creation of a uterine lining unfavorable to implantation.

The most widely used hormonal contraception is the OCP—oral contraceptive pill. There is much debate, even among pro-life professionals, about its mechanism of action. Product information on the label of these pills will list three methods of action. 1) Prevention of ovulation 2) Thickening of the lining of the cervix (hindering sperm flow) 3) Thinning of the uterine lining. The later is said to be a “back up” mechanism in case the first two fail and ovulation occurs and the egg is fertilized. Some pro-life pharmacists believe that the abortifacient mechanism of the pill comes into play anywhere from 2% to 10% of female cycles per year. On the other side of the debate, many reputable pro-life Ob-Gyn’s indicate that if ovulation and fertilization do occur, a whole new hormone environment comes into play which transforms the lining of the uterus to become receptive to implantation.

7. What about the drug RU-486?

Answer: Planned Parenthood, along with other pro-abortionists, proclaim RU-486 to be the “safe and effective” abortion technique. But RU-486 bears careful scrutiny. It is a procedure that requires the woman to take two powerful drugs. The first causes the uterus to shed its lining killing the tiny preborn child. The second causes the expulsion of the now dead baby. Thus, with RU-486, it is the woman who becomes the abortionist as she takes the drugs, and it is her body that makes the abortion happen. This process may drag out for as long as two weeks with multiple visits to the physician. Complications include bleeding, nausea, pain, and sometimes incomplete abortions. There may also be emotional consequences as well. The woman will often see her dead, expelled child.

8. What is I.U.D. contraception?

Answer: I.U.D. contraception is the use of an Intra-Uterine Device (I.U.D.) to prevent pregnancy. The I.U.D. does not prevent conception. Therefore, it is not a contraceptive at all. Rather, it is an abortifacient. An abortifacient is any agent that causes an abortion. With few exceptions, almost all scientific papers agree that the effect of an I.U.D. is to prevent implantation of an already living embryo into the nutrient lining of the uterus. This clearly causes an abortion.

9. What is suction aspiration?

Answer: Suction aspiration abortion, sometimes called menstrual extraction abortion, is used in 95% of induced abortions. A powerful suction tube is inserted into the uterus through the expanded cervix (neck). This painfully dismembers the body of the developing baby and tears the placenta from the uterus, sucking the parts into a container. Uterine hemorrhage and/or infection can easily occur if any fetal or placental tissue is left inside the uterus.

10. What is dilatation and curettage (D&C)?

Answer: In this technique the cervix is dilated or expanded to permit insertion of a loop-shaped steel knife in order to scrape the wall of the uterus. This painfully cuts the baby's body into pieces and cuts the placenta away from the uterine wall. Bleeding is sometimes excessive. This method is used primarily during the seventh to twelfth week of pregnancy and should not be confused with therapeutic D&C done with a spoon-shaped instrument for reasons other than undesired pregnancy, e.g., incomplete miscarriage as noted under question #3 above.

11. What is dilatation and evacuation (D&E)?

Answer: This technique is used to remove a baby from the uterus who is as old as 18 weeks and is similar to the D&C method. The difference is that a forceps (big tweezers) is used to grasp part of the developing baby who already has calcified bones. The body parts must be painfully twisted and torn away, and the placenta separated from the uterine wall. Bleeding can be excessive.

12. What is salt poisoning?

Answer: Salt poisoning, sometimes called “saline amniocentesis” or “salting out," is used after 16 weeks of pregnancy when enough fluid has accumulated in the amniotic sac surrounding the baby. A needle is inserted through the mother's abdominal wall directly into the amniotic sac, and a solution of concentrated salt is injected into it. The baby breathes in, swallowing the salt solution and is thereby painfully poisoned. Shortly, the baby dies, and the mother usually goes into labor approximately a day later, delivering a dead and shriveled baby. This is the second most popular method of inducing abortion in the U.S., yet it is outlawed in Japan and other countries because of many inherent risks to the mother. Saline amniocentesis was the most common type of 2^nd trimester abortions in the 1970s and ’80s. These are not used as frequently anymore because of danger to the mother.

13. What is prostaglandin injection?

Answer: Prostaglandins are hormones that assist the birth process. Injecting concentrations of prostaglandins into the amniotic sac induces violent labor and premature birth of a baby usually too undeveloped to survive. This technique is usually used during the second half of the pregnancy. A self-administered prostaglandin suppository or tampon is being developed for first trimester abortions. Serious complications from prostaglandin injection are cardiac arrest and a ruptured uterus.

14. What is hysterectomy?

Answer: This technique is similar to a Cesarian section birth operation and is generally used if the salt poisoning or prostaglandin injections fail. The surgeon makes a cut through the mother’s abdominal wall and the wall of her uterus. Then the baby is removed. Sometimes babies are born alive during this technique. This is known as the “dreaded complication.” Questions arise as to how and when to kill the baby and by whom. Some babies who are cared for after the hysterotomy have been known to survive and were subsequently accepted by their natural mother or placed for adoption. This method presents the highest risk to the health of the mother with a mortality rate of double the risk from D&E.

15. What is a Partial-Birth Abortion (also known as a "D & X" abortion)?

Answer: In a partial-birth abortion, the abortionist turns the baby within the uterus and partially delivers him or her feet first—all but the head. A pair of curved blunt scissors are used to puncture the base of the skull. A tube is then inserted and the baby's brain is suctioned out. The baby dies, the head collapses and the “delivery” is completed. This procedure is becoming more and more common in late-term abortions. Since a baby aborted by this procedure is intact, his or her body parts are often harvested and used in various fetal tissue research projects.

16. What are the potential complications of an induced abortion?

Answer: The argument used by many proponents of induced abortion – that abortion is safer than childbirth – is difficult to defend in light of medical evidence to the contrary. The abortion Surveillance Branch of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta asserts that induced abortion is safer than childbirth, that the serious complication rate for abortion is less than one percent, and that induced abortion is a good solution for contraceptive failure. However, the experience of private physicians and gynecologists do not support this claim because of massive underreporting of complications and deaths. Daniel J. Martin, M.D., a Clinical Instructor at St. Louis University Medical School, stated in a research paper (April, 1983), “The impact of abortion on the body of a woman who chooses abortion is great and always negative. I can think of no beneficial effect of a social abortion on a body.” Medical researchers have identified a pattern of psychological problems by women who have had abortions known as Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS) which has been recognized as a type of “post traumatic stress disorder.” Most women have induced abortions without a significant physical injury, but a significant number do sustain physical damage, and a few even die. Many women end up with serious emotional and guilt-related after effects. Even those who favor abortion will admit this. Dr. Julius Fogel, a psychiatrist and obstetrician who has been a long time advocate of abortion and has personally performed over 20,000 abortions, said in an interview:

“Every woman—whatever her age, background, or sexuality—has a trauma at destroying a pregnancy. Often the trauma may sink into the unconscious and never surface in the woman’s lifetime. But it is not as harmless and casual an event as many in the pro-abortion crowd insist. A psychological price is paid. It may be alienation; it may be a pushing away from human warmth, perhaps a hardening of the maternal instinct. Something happens on the deeper levels of a woman’s consciousness when she destroys a pregnancy. I know that as a psychiatrist.”

Women should be aware of another complication. Chris Kahlenborn, M.D., graduate of Pennsylvania State Medical University and international lecturer, attended a professional conference in 1993 where the speaker asserted that there was a link between abortion and the risk of developing breast cancer. Kahlenborn was skeptical and set out to disprove this claim. But after five years of studying the pertinent medical literature, he found the evidence of such a link nearly indisputable. As of January 1999, 11 of 12 epidemiological studies in the United States and 25 of 31 studies worldwide showed that women who elect to have an induced abortion have an elevated risk of developing breast cancer. Induced abortion is not safe for women. Of course, an induced abortion is never safe for the preborn baby.

For Part III click here.