As news of the Kermit Gosnell trial creeps into headlines,
more people are becoming aware that abortion may not be as straightforward a
procedure as its proponents like to make us believe. Abortion is a deadly
practice; it results in a dead baby almost every time. Abortion is responsible
for more than the death of the unborn child, however. How many mothers have died as a direct result of an abortion?
While estimates place the number of adult victims of
abortion in the hundreds, it is very difficult to know for sure. Hospitals list
the complication (for example, hemorrhage) as the cause of death rather than
the abortion. In addition, many women die because they never tell their loved
ones that the reason for their distress is abortion. By the time she seeks
medical help, it is too late. We may never know all the women who are victims
of their “choice,” women who were told that abortion is “safer than childbirth.”
Most medical procedures come with risks, but typically
doctors are required to inform their patients about every aspect of the
surgery. Abortion facilities, however, are often under-regulated and in many
cases not required to describe the long term risks and other important health aspects
of the abortion procedure.
Although the Gosnell clinic might be an extreme example, the
practices there show just how inhumane, unsanitary, and disgusting the abortion
practices can be. According to Gosnell’s staff, the abortionist used
unsterilized utensils and did not dispose of the remains properly, creating
unsanitary conditions for surgery. This, along with his grossly undertrained
staff, led to the deaths of Semika Shaw and Karnamaya Mongar. Shaw died from
infections after her cervix and uterus were perforated during the abortion
procedure; Mongar died after an overdose of anesthesia.
Shaw and Mongar are the victims of late term surgical
abortions, but even the chemical abortions, which take place within the first 7
weeks of pregnancy, are dangerous and sometimes fatal
for the mother. According to a study
in Australia, 5.7 percent of women who had chemical abortions were admitted to
the hospital for treatment of complications, while 0.4 percent of surgical
abortion patients did so. A chemical
abortion takes place over several days; the mother first takes the RU-486 pill,
which causes the lining of the uterus to deteriorate and the baby to starve to
death. After 48 hours, the mother then takes a second pill containing
prostaglandins, which begins labor.
The women who opt for a chemical abortion are often unaware
of the side effects and complications involved. Even though they take the pills
in the abortion clinic, the labor, delivery, and any side effects take place at
home without medical supervision. These women often experience extreme
cramping, heavy and prolonged bleeding, nausea, and pain. Chemical abortions
also leave psychological scars on their victims; many women believe they are
delivering a “clump of cells” and are unprepared to see the tiny body of their
baby.
One of the more famous victims of RU-486 is Holly Patterson.
In 2003, the 17 year old took the abortion pills without her family’s
knowledge. For several days, she suffered from severe cramps, bleeding, and
nausea; when she consulted with the clinic, they told her it was normal and
gave her painkillers. Four days after the abortion, Patterson’s stunned father
watched his daughter die from what he later learned was a toxic shock infection.
Since then, at least 11 other women have suffered the same death, while others
have been hospitalized for hemorrhages.
Thankfully, organizations like North Carolina Right to Life
and the other state affiliates of National Right to Life work hard to ensure
that pro-life legislation is passed to prevent tragedies like these from
happening. In North Carolina, one of the current pieces of legislation, S308—Amend the
Woman’s Right to Know, would require that the physician be physically present to
administer the chemical abortion, RU-486, in order to prevent abortion
providers from dispensing this drug over the internet, a practice commonly
known as web cam abortions.
Thanks to Woman’s Right to Know laws being passed nationwide,
including the one passed in 2011 in North Carolina, abortion facilities are legally
required to give the mother more information so she can make a truly informed abortion decision. Abortion will never be truly
“safe,” especially for the unborn children who are targeted for death, but
hopefully more mothers and their families will be spared the trauma of abortion
and its complications.
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