Dangers Abortion Poses

Abortion- Mention this word and you will definitely get contrasted reactions and views from different people. For some, it reminds them of the inhuman act they committed when they ended the life of an innocent child they’d conceived. For others, it brings a sense of joy as they got rid of a child conceived of the beastly act of rape, a child sired by an irresponsible man, a child conceived of a liar and immature man not ready to start a family.

Abortion is defined as the intentional termination of pregnancy after conception. Women kill the undeveloped embryo or fetus to end the pregnancy.

Abortion has for many years been a controversial subject. However, as the years come and go, more and more countries have softened their stance on abortion. The latest statistics show that 54 nations, representing 61% of the world’s population, allow abortion. However, 97 nations, representing 39% of the world’s population, have laws that don’t allow it. It’s a known fact, however, that abortion is still commonly practiced in most of the countries that do not allow it.

Good or not, legal or illegal, abortion has its dangers. Any person considering abortion ought to know the hazards associated with the practice. I’ll take a brief look at some of the dangers.

Death

Abortion can end up in death. The causes of abortion related deaths include infection, embolism and hemorrhage. For example, abortion is the fifth highest cause of maternal deaths in the US. However, most abortion related deaths aren’t reported as such.

Ovarian, Cervical and Liver Cancer

The relative risk of cervical cancer for women who have carried out an abortion is 2.3 compared to women who have not had abortions. The risk is greater for women who have had two or more abortions- 4.92 relative risk. Increased risks of ovarian and liver cancer have also been linked to single and multiple abortions.

Other risks associated with abortion include endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), placenta previa, cervical lacerations, uterine perforation and handicapped newborns in later pregnancies.

Handicapped children in later pregnancies

Abortion is associated with uterine and cervical damage which could lead to increased risk of labor complications, abnormal development of placenta in pregnancies that follow and risk of premature delivery. These are the main causes of handicaps among children who have been born.

Other risks associated with abortion include endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa, cervical lacerations and uterine preforation.

For all the above mentioned risks of abortion, there is increased risk for women that have had multiple abortions. This is noteworthy since 45% of all abortions are repeats.

In my opinion since some of the risks associated with abortion are grave; for example death, abortion should be carried out only when one is in a very difficult situation.

The writer, Tom Nyairo, is a member at Nikenya Forums. Join the forum and meet people from different backgrounds for discussions on a wide range of topics; including dating, education, self improvement and much more common and important issues surrounding our lives.