Rational Side of Abortion: Facts and Misconceptions with Sources
As the fight against access to abortion rages on, it is imperative to dispel the disinformation spread about the various laws and issues surrounding abortion. For most rational people, accepting credible sources of information in the fact gathering process will be easy. For people who have bought into the Conservative narrative, finding credible sources of information is nonexistent and often tied to an emotional response elicited by politicians. Common misconceptions will be addressed below with credible medical journals and websites attached for further exploration of the topics.
MISCONCEPTION#1: People seem to believe as soon as a woman is pregnant there is a fully formed human within her.
FACT: When a woman begins her cycle, she is considered pregnant until her period comes. The reason for this is because when a woman does test positive in pregnancy the doctor will use the date of her last period to determine the estimated due date which also in turn gives an age of the embryo. Example, Jill’s last period was May 1 and she tested positive for pregnancy June 5 — she is 5 weeks pregnant, however, conception happened somewhere in the middle of her cycle. I know, it is weird but it has to do with the development.
At this point, the embryo is a cluster of cells that are beginning to differentiate into a fetus. It’s shaped like a small disc. Around 8 weeks the heart tube has been formed, but not much else. There’s little nubs where the arms and legs will eventually develop, there’s cells in place that will form into specific organs — one being the brain. The embryo does not become a fetus until 10 weeks of pregnancy. Up until then the embryo is getting all it needs from the corpus luteum, which is a small cyst that develops in the ovary every cycle in preparation for conception. The corpus luteum will go away if an egg is not fertilized. Around 10–13 weeks the placenta develops and has taken over the work of the corpus luteum. This is one reason why women have morning sickness because of the hormones associated with the corpus luteum like progesterone. By 13 weeks all the organs have crudely developed and the remainder of the pregnancy will be dedicated to the development of functioning organs — except for the brain — it does not finish developing until well into adulthood.
MISCONCEPTION #2: There is a heartbeat as early as 6 weeks.
FACT: There is no heart at 6 weeks, but a structure that will become the heart. It is called the primitive heart tube. It is not the same as a fully functioning heart, but a crude structure that will continue to develop up until birth.
MISCONCEPTION #3: A baby is chopped up when it is aborted.
FACT: The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act was signed into law on November 5, 2003. The only forms of abortion include medication, aspiration, D&E, and induction/c-section. Medication and aspiration are performed within the first trimester, while the other methods are reserved for second trimester. Very rarely does a woman abort a pregnancy is third trimester (<1%) and it is usually through induction due to a medical condition affecting the fetus’ quality of life or the mother’s health.
MISCONCEPTION #4: Women abort perfectly healthy babies at full term.
FACT: “Aborting” a baby at full term is called BIRTH. Abortions at full term do not exist in the way that pundits describe. They conjure an image of a full term baby being chopped up to play on the emotions of people in order to extract a specific response in the pursuit of an agenda. It would be against the law to kill a healthy, fully functioning baby.
MISCONCEPTION #5: Abortion is used as birth control.
FACT: Abortion is not a medical service that is covered by many insurances or government medical care except in rare circumstances. The Hyde Act is a federal law that prohibits the use of federal dollars towards abortions. A woman must pay out of pocket for an abortion which starts around $500 and can be as high as $3500, so it is an expensive and unrealistic form of birth control. Considering many states have laws against abortion after 20 weeks, without a valid reason, many women have to travel out of state to obtain an abortion which adds to the myth of it being used as birth control.
Abortion is not a decision women take lightly and many women are heartbroken when they have to make the decision to abort. The issue is not black and white, but an area with several shades of grey which is why it is imperative to leave this decision up to the patient and doctor. Here are some stories from women who had to make the hard decision to abort. A simple Google search will take you to other sources where women tell their stories.
REFERENCES:
Baerwald, A. R., Adams, G. P., & Pierson, R. A. (2005). Form and function of the corpus luteum during the human menstrual cycle. Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 25(5), 498–507. https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.1891
Cowles, C. (2018, November 20). What to Know About the Cost of an Abortion. The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2018/11/how-much-does-an-abortion-cost.html.
Kortsmit K, Jatlaoui TC, Mandel MG, et al. Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2018. MMWR Surveill Summ 2020;69(No. SS-7):1–29. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6907a1
Lousiana Department of Health. (2021). Stages of Fetal Development-First Trimester. https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/986
Louisiana Department of Health. (2021). Abortion-Methods and Medical Risks. https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/1036
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Health Care Services; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Reproductive Health Services: Assessing the Safety and Quality of Abortion Care in the U.S.. The Safety and Quality of Abortion Care in the United States. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2018 Mar 16. Summary. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507229/
NHS. (2018). You and your pregnancy at 1 to 3 weeks. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/1-to-12/1-2-3-weeks/
University of New South Wales. (2015). Basic-Primitive Heart Tube. https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Basic_-_Primitive_Heart_Tube
