Provincial
74-490: Provincial The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian lay Catholic organization which makes statements in the media about Catholicism and which lobbies the government and takes part in court cases to advocate policies in line with its interpretation of Catholic teachings. The CCRL has played a prominent role in Canadian social debates surrounding abortion , same-sex marriage and prostitution , where it has argued from
148-548: A social conservative standpoint, in line with Catholic social teaching . The organization works closely with other Catholic organizations on social issues that matter for the Church. The group was formed in 1985 to counter anti-Catholic sentiment, which had increased when the Ontario provincial government had extended funding to Catholic secondary schools. The League opposes what it views as anti-Catholicism and anti-religion in
222-774: A 2012 study in Obstetrics & Gynecology , in the United States the risk of maternal mortality is 14 times lower after induced abortion than after childbirth. The CDC estimated in 2019 that US pregnancy-related mortality was 17.2 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, while the US abortion mortality rate was 0.43 maternal deaths per 100,000 procedures. In the UK, guidelines of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists state that "Women should be advised that abortion
296-532: A child , domestic violence , lack of support, feeling they are too young, wishing to complete education or advance a career, and not being able or willing to raise a child conceived as a result of rape or incest . When done legally in industrialized societies, induced abortion is one of the safest procedures in medicine . Unsafe abortions —those performed by people lacking the necessary skills, or in inadequately resourced settings—are responsible for between 5–13% of maternal deaths , especially in
370-471: A combined regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol or surgical abortion. Vacuum aspiration in the first trimester is the safest method of surgical abortion, and can be performed in a primary care office , abortion clinic , or hospital. Complications, which are rare, can include uterine perforation , pelvic infection , and retained products of conception requiring a second procedure to evacuate. Infections account for one-third of abortion-related deaths in
444-953: A delayed/suspended menstruation". Forty percent of the world's women are able to access therapeutic and elective abortions within gestational limits, while an additional 35 percent have access to legal abortion if they meet certain physical, mental, or socioeconomic criteria. While maternal mortality seldom results from safe abortions, unsafe abortions result in 70,000 deaths and 5 million disabilities per year. Complications of unsafe abortion account for approximately an eighth of maternal mortalities worldwide, though this varies by region. Secondary infertility caused by an unsafe abortion affects an estimated 24 million women. The rate of unsafe abortions has increased from 44% to 49% between 1995 and 2008. Health education, access to family planning, and improvements in health care during and after abortion have been proposed to address consequences of unsafe abortion. There are two commonly used methods of measuring
518-501: A key enzyme in the formation of PGE 2 . Terminal prostaglandin synthases have been identified that are responsible for the formation of other prostaglandins. For example, hematopoietic and lipocalin prostaglandin D synthases (hPGDS and lPGDS) are responsible for the formation of PGD 2 from PGH 2 . Similarly, prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) synthase (PGIS) converts PGH 2 into PGI 2 . A thromboxane synthase ( TxAS ) has also been identified. Prostaglandin-F synthase (PGFS) catalyzes
592-510: A mifepristone–misoprostol combination regimen is considered to be more effective than surgical abortion ( vacuum aspiration ), especially when clinical practice does not include detailed inspection of aspirated tissue. Early medical abortion regimens using mifepristone, followed 24–48 hours later by buccal or vaginal misoprostol are 98% effective up to 9 weeks gestational age; from 9 to 10 weeks efficacy decreases modestly to 94%. If medical abortion fails, surgical abortion must be used to complete
666-404: A non-custodial biological parent surrendering parental status. It has also taken a socially conservative position in a case challenging Canada's restrictions on prostitution, and advocated for policies protecting discrimination and hate speech against LGBT people, and displays of graphic anti-abortion posters where not permitted, as an expression of religious belief. Abortion Abortion
740-419: A number of cases which relate to its interpretation of Catholicism, opposing same-sex marriage in several cases in the late 90s and early 2000s, calling for the notwithstanding clause to be used to overrule court decision in favour of same-sex marriage. It opposed the Ontario court's decision in the "three-parent case" which determined that a child's second custodial parent could become his legal parent without
814-548: A prostaglandin analog alone. Mifepristone–misoprostol combination regimens work faster and are more effective at later gestational ages than methotrexate–misoprostol combination regimens, and combination regimens are more effective than misoprostol alone, particularly in the second trimester. Medical abortion regimens involving mifepristone followed by misoprostol in the cheek between 24 and 48 hours later are effective when performed before 70 days' gestation. In very early abortions, up to 7 weeks gestation , medical abortion using
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#1732772939317888-422: A public health measure. Abortion laws and views of the procedure are different around the world. In some countries abortion is legal and women have the right to make the choice about abortion. In some areas, abortion is legal only in specific cases such as rape, incest, fetal defects , poverty, and risk to a woman's health. An induced abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy. In present-day English,
962-577: A significantly increased chance of mortality or morbidity, and reducing the number of fetuses to lessen health risks associated with multiple pregnancy . An abortion is referred to as elective or voluntary when it is performed at the request of the woman for non-medical reasons. Confusion sometimes arises over the term elective because " elective surgery " generally refers to all scheduled surgery, whether medically necessary or not. About one in five pregnancies worldwide ends with an induced abortion. Most abortions result from unintended pregnancies. In
1036-402: A specific abortion procedure. Abortions can be characterized as either therapeutic or elective. When an abortion is performed for medical reasons, the procedure is referred to as a therapeutic abortion. Medical reasons for therapeutic abortion include saving the life of the pregnant woman, preventing harm to the woman's physical or mental health , preventing the birth of a child who will have
1110-409: A specific site but in many places throughout the human body. Prostaglandins are powerful, locally-acting vasodilators and inhibit the aggregation of blood platelets . Through their role in vasodilation, prostaglandins are also involved in inflammation . They are synthesized in the walls of blood vessels and serve the physiological function of preventing needless clot formation, as well as regulating
1184-477: A variety of functions. The first total syntheses of prostaglandin F 2α and prostaglandin E 2 were reported by Elias James Corey in 1969, an achievement for which he was awarded the Japan Prize in 1989. In 1971, it was determined that aspirin -like drugs could inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins. The biochemists Sune K. Bergström , Bengt I. Samuelsson and John R. Vane jointly received
1258-445: A widespread trend towards greater legal access to abortion since 1973, but there remains debate with regard to moral, religious, ethical, and legal issues. Those who oppose abortion often argue that an embryo or fetus is a person with a right to life , and thus equate abortion with murder . Those who support abortion's legality often argue that it is a woman's reproductive right . Others favor legal and accessible abortion as
1332-623: Is a procedure similar to a caesarean section and is performed under general anesthesia . It requires a smaller incision than a caesarean section and can be used during later stages of pregnancy. Gravid hysterectomy refers to removal of the whole uterus while still containing the pregnancy. Hysterotomy and hysterectomy are associated with much higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality than D&E or induction abortion. First trimester procedures can generally be performed using local anesthesia , while second trimester methods may require deep sedation or general anesthesia . In places lacking
1406-583: Is as follows: However, while COX-1 and COX-2 are both located in the blood vessels , stomach and the kidneys , prostaglandin levels are increased by COX-2 in scenarios of inflammation and growth . Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) — the most abundant prostaglandin — is generated from the action of prostaglandin E synthases on prostaglandin H 2 ( prostaglandin H2 , PGH 2 ). Several prostaglandin E synthases have been identified. To date, microsomal (named as misoprostol ) prostaglandin E synthase-1 emerges as
1480-459: Is as safe as provider-administered medical abortion, where a health care professional is present to help manage the medical abortion. Safely permitting women to self-administer abortion medication has the potential to improve access to abortion. The review also noted a research gap concerning methods to support women who take medication at home for a self-administered abortion. Up to 15 weeks' gestation, suction-aspiration or vacuum aspiration are
1554-439: Is as safe from 64 to 70 days' gestation as it before 63 days. There is little difference in terms of safety and efficacy between medical abortion using a combined regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol and surgical abortion (vacuum aspiration) in early first trimester abortions up to 10 weeks gestation. Medical abortion using the prostaglandin analog misoprostol alone is less effective and more painful than medical abortion using
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#17327729393171628-417: Is created from diacylglycerol via phospholipase-A 2 , then brought to either the cyclooxygenase pathway or the lipoxygenase pathway . The cyclooxygenase pathway produces thromboxane , prostacyclin and prostaglandin D, E and F. Alternatively, the lipoxygenase enzyme pathway is active in leukocytes and in macrophages and synthesizes leukotrienes . Prostaglandins were originally believed to leave
1702-524: Is essential for the attainment of the highest possible level of sexual and reproductive health". Historically , abortions have been attempted using herbal medicines , sharp tools, forceful massage , or other traditional methods . Around 73 million abortions are performed each year in the world, with about 45% done unsafely. Abortion rates changed little between 2003 and 2008, before which they decreased for at least two decades as access to family planning and birth control increased. As of 2018 , 37% of
1776-541: Is generally safer than continuing a pregnancy to term." Worldwide, on average, abortion is safer than carrying a pregnancy to term. A 2007 study reported that "26% of all pregnancies worldwide are terminated by induced abortion," whereas "deaths from improperly performed [abortion] procedures constitute 13% of maternal mortality globally." In Indonesia in 2000 it was estimated that 2 million pregnancies ended in abortion, 4.5 million pregnancies were carried to term, and 14–16 percent of maternal deaths resulted from abortion. In
1850-414: Is legal and available. The health risks of abortion depend principally on how, and under what conditions, the procedure is performed. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines unsafe abortions as those performed by unskilled individuals, with hazardous equipment, or in unsanitary facilities. Legal abortions performed in the developed world are among the safest procedures in medicine. According to
1924-666: Is legally restricted. They may attempt self-induced abortion or seek the help of a person without proper medical training or facilities. This can lead to severe complications, such as incomplete abortion, sepsis , hemorrhage, and damage to internal organs. Unsafe abortions are a major cause of injury and death among women worldwide. Although data are imprecise, it is estimated that approximately 20 million unsafe abortions are performed annually, with 97% taking place in developing countries . Unsafe abortions are believed to result in millions of injuries. Estimates of deaths vary according to methodology, and have ranged from 37,000 to 70,000 in
1998-460: Is legally risky in the United States. Historically, a number of herbs reputed to possess abortifacient properties have been used in folk medicine . Such herbs include tansy , pennyroyal , black cohosh , and the now-extinct silphium . In 1978, one woman in Colorado died and another developed organ damage when they attempted to terminate their pregnancies by taking pennyroyal oil. Because
2072-642: Is the legal standing of abortion. Countries with restrictive abortion laws have higher rates of unsafe abortion and similar overall abortion rates compared to countries where abortion is legal and available. For example, the 1996 legalization of abortion in South Africa led to an immediate reduction in abortion-related complications, with abortion-related deaths dropping by more than 90%. Similar reductions in maternal mortality have been observed after other countries have liberalized their abortion laws, such as Romania and Nepal . A 2011 study concluded that in
2146-631: Is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus . An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of all pregnancies. When deliberate steps are taken to end a pregnancy, it is called an induced abortion , or less frequently "induced miscarriage". The unmodified word abortion generally refers to an induced abortion. The most common reasons given for having an abortion are for birth-timing and limiting family size. Other reasons reported include maternal health , an inability to afford
2220-577: Is usually termed " stillborn ". Premature births and stillbirths are generally not considered to be miscarriages, although usage of these terms can sometimes overlap. Studies of pregnant women in the US and China have shown that between 40% and 60% of embryos do not progress to birth. The vast majority of miscarriages occur before the woman is aware that she is pregnant , and many pregnancies spontaneously abort before medical practitioners can detect an embryo. Between 15% and 30% of known pregnancies end in clinically apparent miscarriage, depending upon
2294-577: The American Psychological Association concluded that a woman's first abortion is not a threat to mental health when carried out in the first trimester, with such women no more likely to have mental-health problems than those carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term; the mental-health outcome of a woman's second or greater abortion is less certain. Some older reviews concluded that abortion was associated with an increased risk of psychological problems; however, later reviews of
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2368-562: The bas reliefs decorating the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia depicts a demon performing such an abortion upon a woman who has been sent to the underworld . Reported methods of unsafe, self-induced abortion include misuse of misoprostol and insertion of non-surgical implements such as knitting needles and clothes hangers into the uterus. These and other methods to terminate pregnancy may be called "induced miscarriage". Such methods are rarely used in countries where surgical abortion
2442-436: The cervix and emptying the uterus using surgical instruments and suction. D&E is performed vaginally and does not require an incision. Intact dilation and extraction (D&X) refers to a variant of D&E sometimes used after 18 to 20 weeks when removal of an intact fetus improves surgical safety or for other reasons. Abortion may also be performed surgically by hysterotomy or gravid hysterectomy. Hysterotomy abortion
2516-435: The developing world . However, medication abortions that are self-managed are highly effective and safe throughout the first trimester . Public health data show that making safe abortion legal and accessible reduces maternal deaths. Modern methods use medication or surgery for abortions. The drug mifepristone (aka RU-486) in combination with prostaglandin appears to be as safe and effective as surgery during
2590-429: The fatty acid arachidonic acid . Every prostaglandin contains 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring . They are a subclass of eicosanoids and of the prostanoid class of fatty acid derivatives. The structural differences between prostaglandins account for their different biological activities. A given prostaglandin may have different and even opposite effects in different tissues in some cases. The ability of
2664-748: The first and second trimesters of pregnancy. The most common surgical technique involves dilating the cervix and using a suction device . Birth control , such as the pill or intrauterine devices , can be used immediately following abortion. When performed legally and safely on a woman who desires it, induced abortions do not increase the risk of long-term mental or physical problems. In contrast, unsafe abortions performed by unskilled individuals, with hazardous equipment, or in unsanitary facilities cause between 22,000 and 44,000 deaths and 6.9 million hospital admissions each year. The World Health Organization states that "access to legal, safe and comprehensive abortion care, including post-abortion care ,
2738-465: The multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4, ABCC4), a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily. Whether MRP4 is the only transporter releasing prostaglandins from the cells is still unclear. Prostaglandins are produced following the sequential oxygenation of arachidonic acid, DGLA or EPA by cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and terminal prostaglandin synthases. The classic dogma
2812-587: The prostate gland , chosen when prostaglandin was first isolated from seminal fluid in 1935 by the Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler , and independently by the Irish-English physiologist Maurice Walter Goldblatt (1895–1967). Prostaglandins were believed to be part of the prostatic secretions, and eventually were discovered to be produced by the seminal vesicles . Later, it was shown that many other tissues secrete prostaglandins and that they perform
2886-471: The 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research on prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are found in most tissues and organs. They are produced by almost all nucleated cells. They are autocrine and paracrine lipid mediators that act upon platelets , endothelium , uterine and mast cells . They are synthesized in the cell from the fatty acid arachidonic acid . Arachidonic acid
2960-551: The U.S., historian Linda Gordon states: "In fact, illegal abortions in this country have an impressive safety record." According to Rickie Solinger , A related myth, promulgated by a broad spectrum of people concerned about abortion and public policy, is that before legalization abortionists were dirty and dangerous back-alley butchers.... [T]he historical evidence does not support such claims. A 1940s American physician spoke of his pride in having performed 13,844 illegal abortions without any fatalities. In 1870s New York City,
3034-523: The US from 2000 to 2009, abortion had a mortality rate lower than plastic surgery , lower or similar to running a marathon, and about equivalent to traveling 760 miles (1,220 km) in a passenger car. Five years after seeking abortion services, women who gave birth after being denied an abortion reported worse health than women who had either first or second trimester abortions. The risk of abortion-related mortality increases with gestational age, but remains lower than that of childbirth. Outpatient abortion
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3108-504: The United Kingdom, 1 to 2% of abortions are done because of genetic problems in the fetus. Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion, is the unintentional expulsion of an embryo or fetus before the 24th week of gestation . A pregnancy that ends before 37 weeks of gestation resulting in a live-born infant is a " premature birth " or a "preterm birth". When a fetus dies in utero after viability , or during delivery , it
3182-403: The United States where 96% of second trimester abortions are performed surgically by dilation and evacuation . A 2020 Cochrane Systematic Review concluded that providing women with medications to take home to complete the second stage of the procedure for an early medical abortion results in an effective abortion. Further research is required to determine if self-administered medical abortion
3256-726: The United States, some state-level anti-abortion laws are correlated with lower rates of abortion in that state. The analysis, however, did not take into account travel to other states without such laws to obtain an abortion. In addition, a lack of access to effective contraception contributes to unsafe abortion. It has been estimated that the incidence of unsafe abortion could be reduced by up to 75% (from 20 million to 5 million annually) if modern family planning and maternal health services were readily available globally. Rates of such abortions may be difficult to measure because they can be reported variously as miscarriage, "induced miscarriage", "menstrual regulation", "mini-abortion", and "regulation of
3330-565: The United States. The rate of complications of vacuum aspiration abortion in the first trimester is similar regardless of whether the procedure is performed in a hospital, surgical center, or office. Preventive antibiotics (such as doxycycline or metronidazole ) are typically given before abortion procedures, as they are believed to substantially reduce the risk of postoperative uterine infection; however, antibiotics are not routinely given with abortion pills. The rate of failed procedures does not appear to vary significantly depending on whether
3404-485: The abbreviation PGE 1 and prostaglandin I 2 has the abbreviation PGI 2 . Systematic studies of prostaglandins began in 1930, when Kurzrock and Lieb found that human seminal fluid caused either stimulation or relaxation of strips of isolated human uterus. They noted that uteri from patients who had gone through successful pregnancies responded to the fluid with relaxation, while uteri from sterile women responded with contraction. The name prostaglandin derives from
3478-461: The abortion is performed by a doctor or a mid-level practitioner . Complications after second trimester abortion are similar to those after first trimester abortion, and depend somewhat on the method chosen. The risk of death from abortion approaches roughly half the risk of death from childbirth the farther along a woman is in pregnancy; from one in a million before 9 weeks gestation to nearly one in ten thousand at 21 weeks or more (as measured from
3552-411: The abortionist/midwife Madame Restell (Anna Trow Lohman) is said to have lost very few women among her more than 100,000 patients —a lower mortality rate than the childbirth mortality rate at the time. In 1936, obstetrics and gynecology professor Frederick J. Taussig wrote that a cause of increasing mortality during the years of illegality in the U.S. was that With each decade of the past fifty years
3626-467: The actual and proportionate frequency of this accident [perforation of the uterus] has increased, due, first, to the increase in the number of instrumentally induced abortions; second, to the proportionate increase in abortions handled by doctors as against those handled by midwives; and, third, to the prevailing tendency to use instruments instead of the finger in emptying the uterus. Women seeking an abortion may use unsafe methods, especially when abortion
3700-435: The age and health of the pregnant woman. 80% of these spontaneous abortions happen in the first trimester. The most common cause of spontaneous abortion during the first trimester is chromosomal abnormalities of the embryo or fetus, accounting for at least 50% of sampled early pregnancy losses. Other causes include vascular disease (such as lupus ), diabetes , other hormonal problems , infection, and abnormalities of
3774-444: The availability of prostaglandin analogs in the 1970s and the antiprogestogen mifepristone (also known as RU-486) in the 1980s. The most common early first trimester medical abortion regimens use mifepristone in combination with misoprostol (or sometimes another prostaglandin analog, gemeprost ) up to 10 weeks (70 days) gestational age, methotrexate in combination with a prostaglandin analog up to 7 weeks gestation, or
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#17327729393173848-401: The cells via passive diffusion because of their high lipophilicity. The discovery of the prostaglandin transporter (PGT, SLCO2A1), which mediates the cellular uptake of prostaglandin, demonstrated that diffusion alone cannot explain the penetration of prostaglandin through the cellular membrane. The release of prostaglandin has now also been shown to be mediated by a specific transporter, namely
3922-481: The cervix (dilation) and removing tissue (curettage) via suction or sharp instruments. D&C is a standard gynecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, including examination of the uterine lining for possible malignancy, investigation of abnormal bleeding, and abortion. The World Health Organization recommends sharp curettage only when suction aspiration is unavailable. Dilation and evacuation (D&E), used after 12 to 16 weeks, consists of opening
3996-448: The contraction of smooth muscle tissue. Conversely, thromboxanes (produced by platelet cells) are vasoconstrictors and facilitate platelet aggregation. Their name comes from their role in clot formation ( thrombosis ). Specific prostaglandins are named with a letter indicating the type of ring structure, followed by a number indicating the number of double bonds in the hydrocarbon structure. For example, prostaglandin E 1 has
4070-466: The first trimester because of fetal abnormalities, more rigorous research would be needed to show this conclusively. Some proposed negative psychological effects of abortion have been referred to by anti-abortion advocates as a separate condition called " post-abortion syndrome ", but this is not recognized by medical or psychological professionals in the United States. A 2020 long term-study among US women found that about 99% of women felt that they made
4144-497: The formation of 9α,11β-PGF 2α,β from PGD 2 and PGF 2α from PGH 2 in the presence of NADPH. This enzyme has recently been crystallized in complex with PGD 2 and bimatoprost (a synthetic analogue of PGF 2α ). There are currently ten known prostaglandin receptors on various cell types. Prostaglandins ligate a sub-family of cell surface seven-transmembrane receptors, G-protein-coupled receptors . These receptors are termed DP1-2, EP1-4, FP, IP1-2, and TP, corresponding to
4218-508: The incidence of abortion: In many places, where abortion is illegal or carries a heavy social stigma, medical reporting of abortion is not reliable. For this reason, estimates of the incidence of abortion must be made without determining certainty related to standard error . The number of abortions performed worldwide was characterized as stable in the early 2000s, with 41.6 million having been performed in 2003 and 43.8 million having been performed in 2008. The abortion rate worldwide
4292-482: The indiscriminant use of herbs as abortifacients can cause serious—even lethal—side effects, such as multiple organ failure , such use is not recommended by physicians. Abortion is sometimes attempted by causing trauma to the abdomen. The degree of force, if severe, can cause serious internal injuries without necessarily succeeding in inducing miscarriage . In Southeast Asia, there is an ancient tradition of attempting abortion through forceful abdominal massage. One of
4366-631: The last menstrual period). It appears that having had a prior surgical uterine evacuation (whether because of induced abortion or treatment of miscarriage) correlates with a small increase in the risk of preterm birth in future pregnancies. The studies supporting this did not control for factors not related to abortion or miscarriage, and hence the causes of this correlation have not been determined, although multiple possibilities have been suggested. Current evidence finds no relationship between most induced abortions and mental health problems other than those expected for any unwanted pregnancy. A report by
4440-548: The media. It responds to criticism of Catholic teaching in the media and to comedy programs about Catholic characters which it views as blasphemous, sometimes filing complaints with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) and Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). It has opposed media such as the television show Father Ted , the film Dogma , and the book The Golden Compass . CCRL has been involved in
4514-412: The medical literature found that previous reviews did not use an appropriate control group. When a control group is utilized, receiving abortion is not associated with adverse psychological outcomes. However, women seeking abortion who are denied access to abortion have an increase in anxiety after the denial. Although some studies show negative mental-health outcomes in women who choose abortions after
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#17327729393174588-615: The most common surgical methods of induced abortion. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) consists of removing the fetus or embryo , placenta , and membranes by suction using a manual syringe, while electric vacuum aspiration (EVA) uses an electric pump. Both techniques can be used very early in pregnancy. MVA can be used up to 14 weeks but is more often used earlier in the U.S. EVA can be used later. MVA, also known as "mini-suction" and " menstrual extraction ", or EVA can be used in very early pregnancy when cervical dilation may not be required. Dilation and curettage (D&C) refers to opening
4662-418: The necessary medical skill for dilation and extraction, or when preferred by practitioners, an abortion can be induced by first inducing labor and then inducing fetal demise if necessary. This is sometimes called "induced miscarriage". This procedure may be performed from 13 weeks gestation to the third trimester. Although it is very uncommon in the United States, more than 80% of induced abortions throughout
4736-470: The past decade; deaths from unsafe abortion account for around 13% of all maternal deaths . The World Health Organization believes that mortality has fallen since the 1990s. To reduce the number of unsafe abortions, public health organizations have generally advocated emphasizing the legalization of abortion, training of medical personnel, and ensuring access to reproductive-health services. A major factor in whether abortions are performed safely or not
4810-571: The procedure. Early medical abortions account for the majority of abortions before 9 weeks gestation in Britain , France , Switzerland , United States , and the Nordic countries . Medical abortion regimens using mifepristone in combination with a prostaglandin analog are the most common methods used for second trimester abortions in Canada , most of Europe, China and India , in contrast to
4884-485: The question of a link between induced abortion and breast cancer has been investigated extensively. Major medical and scientific bodies (including the WHO, National Cancer Institute , American Cancer Society , Royal College of OBGYN and American Congress of OBGYN ) have concluded that abortion does not cause breast cancer. In the past even illegality has not automatically meant that the abortions were unsafe. Referring to
4958-597: The receptor that ligates the corresponding prostaglandin (e.g., DP1-2 receptors bind to PGD2 ). The diversity of receptors means that prostaglandins act on an array of cells and have a wide variety of effects such as: The following is a comparison of different types of prostaglandin, including prostaglandin I 2 (prostacyclin; PGI 2 ), prostaglandin D 2 (PGD 2 ), prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), and prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ). Examples of prostaglandin antagonists are: Synthetic prostaglandins are used: The original synthesis of prostaglandins F2α and E2
5032-557: The right decision five years after they had an abortion. Relief was the primary emotion with few women feeling sadness or guilt. Social stigma was a main factor predicting negative emotions and regret years later. The researchers also stated: "These results add to the scientific evidence that emotions about an abortion are associated with personal and social context, and are not a product of the abortion procedure itself." Some purported risks of abortion are promoted primarily by anti-abortion groups, but lack scientific support. For example,
5106-404: The same prostaglandin to stimulate a reaction in one tissue and inhibit the same reaction in another tissue is determined by the type of receptor to which the prostaglandin binds. They act as autocrine or paracrine factors with their target cells present in the immediate vicinity of the site of their secretion . Prostaglandins differ from endocrine hormones in that they are not produced at
5180-456: The second trimester are labor-induced abortions in Sweden and other nearby countries. Only limited data are available comparing labor-induced abortion with the dilation and extraction method. Unlike D&E, labor-induced abortions after 18 weeks may be complicated by the occurrence of brief fetal survival, which may be legally characterized as live birth. For this reason, labor-induced abortion
5254-416: The term abortion , when used without further qualification, generally refers to induced abortion. A pregnancy can be intentionally aborted in several ways. The abortion method depends upon the gestational age of the embryo or fetus, which gains mass as the pregnancy progresses. Abortion laws , regional availability, and the personal preference of the women and her doctor may inform the women's choice of
5328-476: The uterus. Advancing maternal age and a woman's history of previous spontaneous abortions are the two leading factors associated with a greater risk of spontaneous abortion. A spontaneous abortion can also be caused by accidental trauma ; intentional trauma or stress to cause miscarriage is considered induced abortion or feticide . Medical abortions are those induced by abortifacient pharmaceuticals. Medical abortion became an alternative method of abortion with
5402-425: The world's women had access to legal abortions without limits as to reason. Countries that permit abortions have different limits on how late in pregnancy abortion is allowed. Abortion rates are similar between countries that restrict abortion and countries that broadly allow it, though this is partly because countries which restrict abortion tend to have higher unintended pregnancy rates. Globally, there has been
5476-708: Was 28 per 1000 women per year, though it was 24 per 1000 women per year for developed countries and 29 per 1000 women per year for developing countries. The same 2012 study indicated that in 2008, the estimated abortion percentage of known pregnancies was at 21% worldwide, with 26% in developed countries and 20% in developing countries. Prostaglandin Prostaglandins ( PG ) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds called eicosanoids that have diverse hormone -like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are derived enzymatically from
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