Counseling the Abortion-Vulnerable Patient
Induced abortion is defined as a procedure done to end a pregnancy in such a manner as to avoid a live birth ie intentional feticide. Many physicians will encounter patients considering intentional feticide (induced abortion) for various reasons. Such interactions present an opportunity not only to create a lasting bond with the patient, but also to open doors for her to explore possibilities she may not have considered, and thereby enable her to make a life-affirming decision. Given the importance of offering accurate information about induced abortion and continuation of pregnancy, this Guideline provides guidance and resources for the prolife physician encountering an abortion-vulnerable patient.
First Pregnancy Abortion or Natural Pregnancy Loss: A Cohort Study of Mental Health Services Utilization
While both induced abortion and natural pregnancy loss have been associated with subsequent mental health problems, population-based studies directly comparing these two pregnancy outcomes are rare. We sought to compare mental health morbidity after an induced abortion or natural loss.
A Statement on Abortion by 170 Obstetricians/Gynecologists after the Reversal of Roe v Wade
In a recent American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 900 professors submitted a Special Report calling for reinstating federal protection for abortion. Here, we provide an alternative consensus statement. Induced abortion is not a constitutional right. We, too, value patient autonomy, but autonomy does not allow for causing harm to another human being, in this case, the human fetus. We share concern about maternal mortality in the United States, but evidence shows that induced abortion increases, not decreases, maternal mortality.
Chemical Abortions: With and Without Medical Supervision
Chemical abortions, otherwise known as “medication-induced” abortions, were approved by the FDA in September 2000, and now account for over 50% of abortions in the United States. Women are being encouraged to order and carry out their own abortion, without in-person supervision by health care professionals, contributing to increased risks of complications.
The Safety of Self-managed Abortion: A Dearth of Good-quality Evidence and a Wealth of Misrepresentation
Self-managed abortion has been particularly prominent in recent discussions of abortion, with the rise of telemedicine abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic and the reality of self-managed illegal abortion in pro-life states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Practice Guideline 11: A Detailed Examination of the Data on Surgical Abortion and Preterm Birth
Overwhelming evidence from 168 studies over fifty years points to a clear dose-response relationship between surgical abortion and subsequent preterm birth. The 2018 National Academy of Sciences report considered only five of these 168 studies and represents a biased sample that underreports a significant association between surgical abortion and subsequent preterm birth.
Practice Guideline 5: The Association between Surgical Abortion and Preterm Birth: An Overview
Evidence in peer-reviewed literature from 168 studies over fifty years points to a causal, dose-response relationship between surgical abortion and subsequent preterm birth. This document provides an overview of this literature, discusses mechanisms for this effect, demonstrates the strength of evidence for causality, and offers guidance for informed consent prior to surgical abortion.
What is NOT an Abortion?
This article examines the question of when termination of a pregnancy is not an “abortion” under post-Roe criminal laws. It is important to understand that medical diagnosis, and furthermore prognosis, is imprecise. Patients and physicians have a range of views regarding how much risk to patient life and health is acceptable.
Polish Abortion Legal Framework after the Judgment of the Constitutional Court of 22 October 2020 in case no. K 1/20: Impact on Doctors
In this article, Kamila Kocan ́da, JD, and Olga Adamczyk–Gruszka, MD, examine the rules governing the practice of abortion in Poland as a result of the Constitutional Court’s oral announcement of its judgment in case K 1/20, making abortion for embryo-pathological reasons illegal.
Fatherlessness Begins Prenatally: A Scoping Review
Men are not superfluous to the abortion process. In fact, a father’s roles and responsibilities start before the act leading to conception and continue through the pregnancy, birth, and through their children’s lives. This paper seeks to review evidence that these roles play an important part in a child’s overall development. Additionally, this paper seeks to suggest direct approaches physicians may take to encourage constructive engagement and responsibility in fathers.