A presentation by:

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The Right to Life
Focus on Abortion

• A presentation by
• Megan Sanders

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• From the very beginning, with the exception of
  Adam and Eve, we all went through the stages of
  development within the womb. Every person that
  has ever been born has contributed to society in
  his or her own way. Imagine if these people
  hadnt been born due to their parents desire to
  dispose of them. These are the thoughts which
  fuel the debate for pro-life.

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What is abortion?

• Abortion is when the pregnancy is removed
  from the uterus. The method depends on the
  stage of pregnancy and the womans preference.
  During the appointment, clinic staff will
  explain the procedure, risks, medications,
  options, and what to expect after the abortion.
• Reasons for abortion include
• Not wanting to be pregnant
• Pregnancy endangering the womans health
• Indicators of serious abnormalities in the fetus
  (birth defects, etc.)

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Court Battles that Brought Legalized Abortion
About

• Roe vs. Wade-(1973)was the landmark United States
  Supreme Court decision which established that
  laws against abortion violate a constitutional
  right to privacy, overturning more than 100 years
  of judicial precedent and all 50 of the state
  laws outlawing or restricting abortion. It
  remains one of the most controversial decisions
  in Supreme Court history.
• Doe vs. Bolton-was a landmark decision of the
  United States Supreme Court overturning the
  abortion law of Georgia. The Supreme Court's
  decision was released on January 22, 1973, the
  same day as the decision in the more famous case
  of Roe v. Wade.

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Abortion Processes Include

• The abortion pill, a.k.a. Mifepristone
• Vacuum Aspiration
• IPAS Syringe-Early Abortion with Manual Vacuum
  Aspiration.
• DE (Dilate and Evacuate)
• General Anesthesia and Local Anesthesia/
  Conscious Sedation/ Comfort Sleep

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Mifepristone

• This type of abortion is an option available up
  to 8 weeks after the last menstrual period. The
  prescription is taken in the pill form at the
  clinic. It causes the end of the pregnancy.
  Between 24-72 hours after the first medication,
  the woman inserts the pill into her vaginal
  orifice which causes the uterus to contract and
  expel the tissue. A follow-up appointment is
  required to make sure the abortion is complete.
  Occassionally more than one follow-up appointment
  is necessary. To use this method, women must
  live within 2 hours of a hospital. Some women
  prefer The Abortion Pill because the process
  feels more natural and private. They can decide
  where they are when they go through the
  experience, such as staying home for the weekend.
  Side effects include cramping, bleeding,
  diarrhea, nausea, etc.

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Vacuum Aspiration

• In the first trimester, usually 6 to 13 weeks,
  vacuum aspiration is the procedure used to empty
  the uterus. This traditional first trimester
  abortion involves three main steps an injection
  to numb the cervix, insertion of a soft, flexible
  tube through the cervix into the uterus, and
  suction created by an aspirating machine to
  remove the uterine contents. It takes less than
  5 minutes to complete.

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IPAS Syringe-Early Abortion with Manual Vacuum
Aspiration (MVA)

• As soon as the pregnancy can be detected by
  ultrasound (typically 4-5 weeks), an abortion can
  be performed using a manual aspiration device
  called the IPAS syringe. Similar to the suction
  aspiration procedure, the IPAS system consists of
  thin, flexible tubing, but instead of using a
  machine to create suction, the suction is created
  by a handheld syringe. The procedure usually
  takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Aftercare
  is the same as with suction aspiration.
  Availability of this procedure is based upon
  doctors discretion.

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DE (Dilate and Evacuate)

• From 13 to 24 weeks, Feminist Womens Health
  Center uses the Dilation and Evacuation
  procedure. Appointments are made for 2-3
  consecutive days. On the first day, an
  ultrasound (sonogram) is performed to determine
  the size of the fetus. Then, the abortion
  procedure is begun by numbing the cervix with
  injections and inserting dilators into the
  cervix. Overnight these dilators gently expand,
  opening the entrance to the uterus. The next
  day, the cervix is again numbered, the dilators
  are removed, and the doctor uses special
  instruments to evacuate the uterus removing the
  pregnancy. The final step is suction using the
  aspirating machine. In more advanced
  pregnancies, additional dilators are inserted on
  the second day and the fetus is removed on the
  third day. The medical procedure lasts about
  10-15 minutes.

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General Anesthesia Local Anesthesia/ Conscious
Sedation/ Comfort Sleep

• Several anesthesia options are available to help
  make the abortion as comfortable as possible.
  General anesthesia is an option for either first
  and second trimester procedures. With general
  anesthesia, the woman is unconscious during the
  procedure which lasts 5 to 15 minutes and
  afterward has no memory of the events. The type
  of anesthesia used is intravenously administered
  through an IV in the arm by a licensed nurse
  anesthetist. It is fast acting and consciousness
  quickly returns when the procedure is over.
  Afterward, the client relaxes for 1-2 hours
  before she can leave the clinic and she must not
  drive afterward. There is an extra charge for
  general anesthesia and not all insurance plans
  cover it.

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Effects of Abortion

• Abortion and the aftermath can result in a
  subsequent ability to carry a pregnancy to term .
• Abortion can result in secondary infertility.
• Abortion can result in the womans death.
• The medical aftermath can include severe pain,
  hemorrhage, shock or coma.
• Emotional reactions can include severe depression
  and thoughts of suicide, feelings of guilt or
  worthlessness, and a dependency on drugs and/or
  alcohol.

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• In a 1994 article in Readers Digest, author
  Mary Cunningham Agee reported that in interviews
  with women who had undergone an abortion, 91
  said they would have continued the pregnancy if
  support had been available. This not only
  indicates a need for alternatives, but also
  explains the rise in services and programs
  available to help. When faced with a crisis
  pregnancy, some women have two immediate choices
  to continue the pregnancy, or not.
• Abortion is not an alternative some are willing
  to consider for various reasons (including
  religious, ethical, medical, and personal
  beliefs)
• Some women are unable or unwilling to recognize
  the fact that they are pregnant (denial, lack of
  early symptoms, etc.)

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• Continuing the pregnancy means that further
  choices will have to be made. Such as
• Parenting
• Non-permanent care arrangements (custody,
  guardianship, etc.)
• Adoption
• Some of these institutions can better inform the
  woman searching for abortion alternatives
• Crisis Pregnancy Centers
• Single parenting support groups
• Counselors
• Spiritual or religious advisors
• Adoption agencies and other adoption
  professionals

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Quick Facts

• 1 in 4 of our generation is not living because
  they were killed before they were born.
• 1 out of every 6 women have had abortions.
• Most Americans want abortion illegal, save for
  the exceptions of rape and incest.
• Most abortions are not for rape and incest, in
  fact less than 1 are included in this category.

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Current Battles in the Court and Legislature

• Partial Birth Abortion Ban
• Human Life Amendment

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My Opinion on Abortion

• Abortion, to me, is an easy way out to some.
  They use abortion as a form of birth control and
  dont realize that they are taking the lives of
  the innocent. I believe that from the point of
  conception, when the unique DNA strands are
  formed that create the wonderful person they
  could become, that they are alive. In my opinion
  there is no question that all forms of abortion
  should be banned. I dont even think that rape
  or incest should be an issue. I really believe
  that if it ever happened to me and I became
  pregnant, that I couldnt take the life of the
  child who couldnt help the circumstances in
  which it is to be brought into the world.
  Everyone is, of course, entitled to their own
  opinion on this subject. I believe that it
  should be allowed to live, and if the parent(s)
  choose not to keep it, that it be put up for
  adoption and given to someone who can love and
  care for it.

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• We as human beings dont have the final
  authority on who should be allowed to live and
  who should die. I have read some of the
  testimonials of some young women who had it done
  and want so much just to go back in time and
  reclaim the life of their unborn baby and allow
  it to be apart of their lives. Time cant be
  reclaimed, and they have to live with this hurt
  for the REST OF THEIR LIVES. I know someone
  personally who had an abortion. She was to have
  twins and had the pregnancy terminated due to a
  medical condition endangering her life and the
  lives of her babies. She regrets every day of
  her life that she had to have this done. People
  have caused abortion to be an issue in areas that
  it shouldnt be. If you really set down and
  think about those picturesthose babies were
  getting ready to come into the world, just to
  have their lives snatched from them before they
  got to live it.

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Thank You For Your Time