Shirin S's List: Abortion

• <!--mstheme-->Some states will occasionally withhold data from the CDC; this will artificially  reduce the total of reported abortions.
• The total number of abortions does not include illegal abortions. These are  believed to be on the increase as  more states  require underage women to inform or gain consent from a parent or  guardian before they can obtain a legal abortion. Some young women,  fearing physical assault, loss of support, or the devastating effect  that news of pregnancy might have on their parents, prefer to risk the  hazards of an  illegal abortion rather than involve their parents in a legal abortion. Some of  them die as a result.

• The CDC reported that:

   

   

  "During 1990--1997, the number of legal induced abortions gradually  declined. When the same 47 reporting areas are compared, the number of  abortions decreased during 1996--2001, then slightly increased in 2002 and  again decreased in 2003."
• If one were to accept all of the data that the  CDC was able to collect, then the abortion rate -- the number of abortions  performed per thousand women of childbearing age (15 to 44) -- shows a significant drop from 20 in 1997 to 17 in 1998. This is a reduction  of 15%!
• The same problem appears here as well. The  reported abortion ratio -- the total number of reported abortions per 1,000 live births --  dropped significantly from 306 to 264 between 1997 and 1998. This is an apparent reduction of 13.7%!
• During the year 2000, the ratio of abortions to live births dropped below 1 in 4 for  the first time since 1975.
• <!--mstheme-->The abortion rate in the U.S. is higher than rates reported for Australia,  Canada, the UK, and other Western European countries.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist--><!--mstheme-->The U.S. abortion rate is lower than rates reported by China, Cuba, most  Eastern European countries, and several of the states in Russia. _3,4 A major cause may be legal  restrictions on the distribution of condoms, or an inadequate supply of contraceptives in some of these  countries.

  • Mention effect of contraceptives....
• An increase in the frequency of contraception usage, for whatever reason:<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->Access to comprehensive sex education.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Near universal access to contraceptive information via the Internet.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Greater openness to discussing sex.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Easier access to condoms. Some high schools and colleges have installed  condom dispensers and/or distribute contraceptive through in-school clinics.
• associate  the reduction with the availability of emergency contraceptive, more frequent use of birth  control, and other factors.
• In their 1994 survey of women who had an abortion, they found 1,400 who had  become pregnant in spite of using emergency contraception. Thus, they  conservatively estimated that three times as many women (4,200 in total) had successfully  used EC and had avoided becoming pregnant and having an abortion.

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• Results:

   <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->41% favored making abortion illegal with a few exceptions.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->24% favored making abortion always legal<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->19% favored making abortion legal most of the time.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->12% favored making abortion totally illegal.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

  <!--mstheme--> 

  Margin of error ±3% percentage points. It is  notable that 12% of American adults would totally prohibit all abortions,  including those needed to save the life of the mother.

• Results:

   <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->37% favor stricter limits. This is a decrease of one percentage point  from a similar poll on 2003-JAN.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->35% favor general availability. This is a decrease of 4 percentage  points.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->25% favor no abortion access. This is a decrease of one percentage  point.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

  <!--mstheme--> 

  Margin of error ±4

• Results:

   <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist--> <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->55% responded sometimes legal. This is an increase of 1 percentage point  from a similar poll in 1975<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->23% always legal; this is an increase of 2 percentage points.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->20% always illegal; this is reduction of 2 percentage points.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->2% uncertain.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

  <!--mstheme--> 

  Margin of error ±3 percentage points.

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• "The first thing I'd do as president is   sign the Freedom of Choice Act.  That's the first thing that I'd   do."  -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action   Fund, July 17, 2007

• Opposition to widespread abortion access in North America is found more frequently among:

    <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->Leadership of the Roman Catholic Church<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Fundamentalists, Evangelical Protestants, Orthodox Jews and Muslims;   <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Older persons; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->People with less education; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Persons with lower income; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Political conservatives;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Republicans; and <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->African-Americans.

• Support for widespread abortion access is found more frequently among:

    <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->Membership of the Roman Catholic church<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Mainline Protestants, liberal Protestants and Reform Jews; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Younger persons; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->People with higher educational attainments; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Persons with higher income; <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Political moderates and liberals, <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Democrats and Independents; and <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Whites.

  • Note that the more educated, higher-income citizens SUPPORT abortion.
• Situations where:<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->A student wants an abortion because she does not want to interrupt  her education, <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->A woman living with her parents who is afraid of being abandoned if  they find out that she is pregnant.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->A woman who fears abandonment or adverse relationship problems if forced to  have a baby.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->A woman is seeking her second, or third abortion.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Whether she became pregnant as a result of not using birth control, or  whether her contraceptive technique failed. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->

  <!--mstheme-->  <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist--><!--mstheme-->etc.

  • The situation matters, but be sure not to make the arguement depend on the situation of the woman - that would result in specific laws and doctors would be too scared to abide to, resulting in even fewer abortions. Perfect.

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• President Obama is pursuing a step-by-step strategy to   expand access to abortion, and today's step is to urge Congress to   authorize the funding of abortion on demand in the nation's capital,   with funds appropriated by Congress."

  • quote from Douglas Johnson, legisltative director for the National Right to Life Comimttee

• For many years, the annual D.C. appropriations   bill has contained a provision to prevent the use of any   congressionally appropriated funds for abortions (except to save the   life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). The White House   budget document released today (on Appendix page 1209) asks Congress   to repeal the ban on the use of congressionally appropriated funds,   and replace it with a meaningless bookkeeping requirement that would   apply only to funds specifically contributed for federal program   purposes.

   

  "If Congress goes along with the Obama proposal,   the predictable result will be tax funding of several thousand   elective abortions annually, including roughly 1,000 abortions   annually that would not otherwise occur," said Douglas Johnson,   legislative director for NRLC.

  • This is worded in a pro-life manner, but can be used to support the pro-choice movement aswell.
• Pro-abortion groups periodically publish academic   studies that demonstrate that policies that bar tax-funded abortions   actually prevent one-third or more of the abortions that would   otherwise occur among the covered populations.
• Barack Obama met with Planned Parenthood in 2007   and promised that mandatory abortion coverage would be "at the   center, the heart of" his health care reform legislation. In an   April 30, 2009, National Public Radio report, Cecile Richards,   president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, confirmed   that "health care reform is going to provide a platform" for   ensuring that "all women . . . regardless of their income, can get   access to the full range of health care options . . ."

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• he Hyde Amendment excludes abortion from the comprehensive health care services provided to low-income people by the federal government through Medicaid.
• At present, the federal Medicaid program mandates abortion funding in cases of rape or incest, as well as when a pregnant woman's life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury.
• Currently only seventeen states fund abortions for low-income women on the same or similar terms as other pregnancy-related and general health services.

  • Don't forget to mention the woman's financial status and the impact that has on her child-rearing ability.
• Thirty-two of the remaining states pay for abortions for low-income women in cases of life-endangering circumstances, rape, or incest, as mandated by federal Medicaid law.³  (A handful of these states pay as well in cases of fetal impairment or when the pregnancy threatens "severe" health problems, but none provides reimbursement for all medically necessary abortions for low-income women.)
• The Hyde Amendment and other bans should be repealed because they are discriminatory and harm women's health.  If a woman chooses to carry to term, Medicaid (and other federal insurance programs) offer her assistance for the necessary medical care.  But if the same woman needs to end her pregnancy, Medicaid (and other federal insurance programs) will not provide coverage for her abortion, even if continuing the pregnancy will harm her health. 

  • Discrimination is an issue worth bringing up; extensive and clear abortion laws prevent discrimination on any counts.
• Women with cancer, diabetes, or heart conditions, or whose pregnancies otherwise threaten their health, are denied coverage for abortions.  Only if a woman would otherwise die, or if her pregnancy results from rape or incest, is an abortion covered. 

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• U.S. State Laws:

   

  According to the National Right to Life Committee, on 2007-MAY-09, 25  states have homicide laws that recognize that an unborn embryo or fetus "during  any stage of development" can be a victim: AL, AK, AZ, GA, ID, IL, KS, KY,  LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI. Many of  these laws cover only those embryos in the womb, and not pre-embryos after  fertilization and before implantation.
• Ten states have laws that recognize that an unborn embryo or fetus during the  later stages of pregnancy can be a victim: AR, CA, FL, IN, MD, MA, NV, RI, TN,  WA. These laws typically apply after quickening (when the pregnant woman first  senses fetal movement), or viability (when the fetus can sustain itself outside  the mother's womb), or at some specific point in pregnancy: e.g. 7 to 8 weeks,  or 12 weeks.

• <!--mstheme-->A common belief among pro-lifers and pro-choicers is that  an ovum is alive. Thus, because it contains human DNA, they consider it to be a form of human  life. According to most scientists, an ovum is not actually alive. But the   belief dies hard.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist--><!--mstheme-->An ovum is not considered a human person.

  • Remember to mention the scientific opinion too...
• <!--mstheme-->Pro-choicers and pro-lifers believe that at conception, or at birth, or at some time in between, human personhood began.  The new person has rights including the right to continue to live.
• Most pro-lifers believe it happens at conception because that is when a   unique DNA first appears.
• Most pro-choicers say that personhood happens later in pregnancy. Some   say that it happens:<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->When the embryo loses its tail and looks vaguely human;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->When the fetus' face begins to look fully human;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->After 21 weeks gestation, a limit imposed by many state & provincial   medical associated;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->When the fetus is viable -- able to survive outside its mother's   body with current medical technology;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->At about 26 weeks, when the fetal brain's higher functions are first   activated and the fetus attains consciousness;<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->When the fetus half-emerges from is/her mother's body. This is a   Jewish teaching.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->At birth, when the fetus becomes apart from her/his mother -- a   newborn. <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->When the newborn's umbilical cord is cut and she or he is  breathing as an independent, separate person;.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->etc.
• If a hunter sees something moving in a bush, he just   doesn’t shoot it because it sounds like it could be a deer. He makes   absolutely sure it is a deer before he kills it. Just like we should   be absolutely sure that human fetuses are not human persons   deserving all rights in society before we kill them.

  • A nice metaphor; sadly, it does not defend my side.
• A local law forbidding elective abortions can be overcome if the  woman simply adds the cost of an airfare to a state or country with more liberal  abortion laws -- or none as in the case of Canada.

  • Laws forbidding abortion don't do anything! They just make things slightly more difficult. If someone is serious about having an abortion, they would be all too willing to go have it done elsewhere.

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• "The real question today is not when human life begins, but,  'What is the value of human life?' The abortionist who reassembles the  arms and legs of a tiny baby to make sure all its parts have been torn  from its mother's body can hardly doubt whether it is a human being."  President Ronald Reagan, (1983). ₂

• "We gave up...legislating religion or morality....When science  cannot determine the facts and decisions vary based upon religious belief,  then government should not act." Harriet Miers'  1993 pro-choice speech on abortion given to the Executive Women of Dallas,  TX. ₁₀

  • Science and religion have always been seperate, why should that change now?
• <!--mstheme-->"Many of us can't recall the days when abortions were illegal and  'choice' for women too often meant choosing between a 'back alley butcher'  or a long, nightmarish trip to one of the few compassionate physicians who  provided clandestine, medically safe abortions." ₄

  • A good quote showing the nightmare getting an abortion was when it was illegal....
• <!--mstheme-->"Whether or not abortion should be legal turns on the answer to  the question of whether and at what point a fetus is a person. This is a  question that cannot be answered logically or empirically. The concept  of personhood is neither logical nor empirical: It is essentially a  religious, or quasi-religious idea, based on one's fundamental (and  therefore unverifiable) assumptions about the nature of the world."  Paul Campos ₇

  • An affective but unobvious arguement - becuase society as a whole cannot determine when life begins, it must be left to the woman to choose.
• <!--mstheme-->To them, abortion is a health service for women. To us, abortion means a funeral service for the preborn baby. Stuart Shepard of Focus on the Family. ₁₀

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• 1) To take no action, have the baby, and raise it herself (hopefully with support from others).
   2) To take no action, give birth, and give the baby up for adoption.
   3) To have an abortion and terminate the pregnancy.
• under what conditions (if any) should the state override her decision?

  • Take into consideration that the state CAN override a devision to terminate the pregnancy.
• Many states are passing laws which would criminalize almost  all abortions. Their apparent motivation is to force the U.S. Supreme Court to  reconsider Roe v. Wade and perhaps reverse their decision.

  • The purpose of my arguement is to reverse such effects and revert back to the Roe vs. Wade mentality.
• In the United States, women choose to end about 25% of their pregnancies through abortion. ₁ This number has been gradually declining since 1979. This is similar to the Canadian figure of 21%, ₂ but is much lower than that of the former Soviet Union (60%) and Romania (78%) where contraceptives remain in short supply. ₃
• Pro-lifers feel that abortion access should be restricted to special  cases, or prohibited completely. Many are motivated by a belief that  human personhood begins at conception. Thus, an abortion murders a baby.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist--><!--mstheme-->Pro-choicers believe that each woman should be relatively free to  follow their own ethical beliefs concerning the termination or  continuation of a pregnancy. Many recognize that there is a diversity of  beliefs about abortion access, and that the state should not attempt to  enforce a common belief system on all pregnant women. Many pro-choicers  believe that human personhood begins later in pregnancy.
• Both groups would like to see a reduction in the number of abortions  performed. Many pro-lifers promote support services for women in crisis  pregnancies and/or seek legal restrictions on abortion access. Many  pro-choicers promote better comprehensive birth control education in schools  and greater access to contraceptives.

  • It's important to remember that no one is PRO-abortion; the only difference between the groups is the matter of choice.
• 23 and 41% of American adults
• Some feel that she should be able to choose to terminate the life of  the pre-embryo, embryo or fetus for any reason up to a certain point in  gestation, but not afterwards. This might be before:<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->About 26 weeks gestation -- the point when higher functions of the the  fetus' brain are first activated and the fetus becomes a sentient  being and is able to sense its surroundings, or<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->At quickening, when the woman first feels the fetus move, or<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->It begins to look human, or<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->It loses its tail and gill slits, or<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Its heart begins beating, or<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->The pre-embryo becomes attached to the inner lining of the  woman's uterus.
• 12% and 25% of American adults
• Pro-life groups are particularly active at  the state level and have successfully influenced legislators and governors into creating many laws that restrict abortion. Many of the  laws have been ineffectual; they are so broadly worded that court injunctions suspend them shortly after having been signed into law.  Courts often find that these laws are so vaguely worded that physicians are unable to determine whether a specific act is allowed or  prohibited.
• Approval of the  drug RU-486  has forever change abortion in America. Doctors are now able to  prescribe the pills and women may be able to take the pill at their  homes.

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• becomes a human person at some time after conception --  perhaps when the embryo's heart starts beating, or when the fetus first looks human, or   it becomes sentient, or it has half  emerged from its mother's body, or is born, or is  severed from its mother and is functioning independently

• Three key terms used throughout this section are:

   <!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->  <!--msthemelist-->

  	<!--mstheme-->Human life: This is "any living cell or collection of  living cells that contains  DNA from the species homo sapiens." 1 This includes an ovum,  a spermatozoon, zygote, embryo, fetus, newborn. It also includes an  infant, child, adult, elder. It also includes a breast cancer cell, a   living hair follicle, and a recent skin scraping. Some forms of human life, like an individual ovum  or spermatozoon, are rarely considered to be of value, except by couples having   difficulty conceiving. Other forms of human life, like a newborn or infant,   are priceless; medical professionals go to great lengths to preserve their life.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Human person: A human life that is granted civil rights, including the right to live.  People have different opinions about the point at which human life becomes a  human person. There is a societal consensus that a newborn is a human person.  However, people disagree about whether a zygote, embryo, or fetus is also a human person.  This is the main point of disagreement that causes conflicts over abortion   access.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Start of pregnancy: Pro-lifers typically define pregnancy as starting at conception.  Pro-choicers and the medical profession usually define it as starting when the zygote is fully implanted in the wall of the  uterus. We use the medical definition in this section.<!--mstheme--><!--msthemelist-->
  	<!--mstheme-->Abortion: We define abortion as the "purposeful termination of  pregnancy with intention other than to produce a live born infant or to  remove a dead fetus." 3 This is one of many conflicting definitions in common use.

• 3,000 Crisis Pregnancy Centers staffed by volunteers ready to provide real help to women facing unplanned or untimely pregnancies. [112] In addition to providing pregnancy tests and counseling, these centers often offer a full range of services, helping women obtain housing, maternity and baby clothes, baby equipment, pre- and post-natal medical care, legal assistance and financial support, information about adoption, and even advice on how a woman in school can continue her education. [113] Offering real and tangible assistance, these centers have helped thousands of women to realize that they didn’t have to choose between their own lives and the lives of their unborn babies.

  • Find a way to show that alternatives are not viable

• Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS). Women suffering PAS may experience drug and alcohol abuse, personal relationship disorders, sexual dysfunction, repeated abortions, communications difficulties, damaged self-esteem, and even attempt suicide. Post-Abortion Syndrome appears to be a type of pattern of denial which may last for five to ten years before emotional difficulties surface
• A Los Angeles Times survey in 1989 found that 56% of women who had abortions felt guilty about it, and 26% "mostly regretted the abortion

• Despite the use of local anesthesia, a full 97% of women having abortions reported experiencing pain during the procedure
• The use of more powerful general anesthetics can reduce the pain, but significantly increases the risk of cervical injury or uterine perforation
• Complications such as these are common, as are bleeding, hemorrhage,[88] laceration of the cervix, [89] menstrual disturbance, [90] inflammation of the reproductive organs, [91] bladder or bowel perforation, [92] and serious infection. [

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• The Abortion Surveillance Branch of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) maintains that induced abortion is safer than childbirth [75] and that the serious complication rate is less than one percent.
• Physical problems range from hemorrhage and infection to sterility and even death. Psychological effects range from depression and mental trauma to divorce and even suicide

• abort women who are 20 to 32 weeks pregnant -- or even later into pregnancy.* Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist reaches into the uterus, grabs the unborn baby’s leg with forceps, and pulls the baby into the birth canal, except for the head, which is deliberately kept just inside the womb. (At this point in a partial-birth abortion, the baby is alive.) Then the abortionist jams scissors into the back of the baby’s skull and spreads the tips of the scissors apart to enlarge the wound. After removing the scissors, a suction catheter is inserted into the skull and the baby’s brains are sucked out. The collapsed head is then removed from the uterus.

  • Be sure to seperate partial birth abortion and other kinds - this is just wrong! The baby is alive!

• used after 16 weeks of pregnancy
• 50-250 ml (as much as a cup) of amniotic fluid is withdrawn and replaced with a solution of concentrated salt. [53] The baby breathes in, swallowing the salt, and is poisoned.[54]  The chemical solution also causes painful burning and deterioration of the baby’s skin. [55] Usually, after about an hour, the child dies. The mother goes into labor about 33 to 35 hours after instillation and delivers a dead, burned, and shriveled baby. [56] About 97% of mothers deliver their dead babies within 72 hours.

• Used to abort unborn children as old as 24 weeks, this method is similar to the D&C. The difference is that forceps with sharp metal jaws are used to grasp parts of the developing baby, which are then twisted and torn away. This continues until the child’s entire body is removed from the womb. Because the baby’s skull has often hardened to bone by this time, the skull must sometimes be compressed or crushed to facilitate removal. If not carefully removed, sharp edges of the bones may cause cervical laceration. Bleeding from the procedure may be profuse.

  • Mention that some methods are unnecarrily cruel and that abortion beyond the time that the fetus can be considered "alive" should not be advocated.