Abortion

• is the premature expulsion of fetus or
child prior to normal birth.
– either spontaneous or induced termination.
miscarriage intentional expulsion or
removal of the same from
the womb

PHILIPPINE CONTEXT
• drinking of bitter herbs originating from
tree leaves and roots to induce
abortion
• Seeking the help of a local hilot to
massage the pregnant woman’s
abdomen
• Presence of peddlers selling all kinds
of leaves, roots, vines, and shrubs on
both sides of Quiapo Church

FIVE TYPES OF ABORTION:
1. Natural abortion: the expulsion of the
fetus through natural or accidental
causes. Also known as spontaneous
or accidental abortion / miscarriage.
Devoid of moral significance since it is
involuntary or unintentional.
2. Direct or intentional abortion: refers
to the deliberately induced expulsion
of a living fetus before it is viable. The
intention makes the act voluntary.

3. Therapeutic abortion: which is the
deliberately induced expulsion of a
living fetus in order to save the mother
from the danger of death brought on
by pregnancy.
4. Eugenic abortion: recommended in
cases where certain defects are
discovered in the developing fetus.
Also known as selective abortion or
abortion on fetal indications.

5. Indirect abortion: the removal of the
fetus occurs as a secondary effect of a
legitimate or licit action, which is the
direct and primary object of the
intention. This is an instance of the
double effect principle which applies to
a situation where a good effect as well
as an evil effect will result from a good
cause. Examples are ectopic
pregnancy and cancerous uterus.

A physician and a nurse, or midwife, are
criminally liable for causing an abortion
or assisting in causing the same by
taking advantage of their scientific
knowledge and skills. However, if the
abortion is done to save the life of the
mother, there is no criminal liability.
This is known as therapeutic abortion.
But abortion, without medical necessity
to warrant, is legally and morally
punishable, even with the consent of
the woman or her husband.

Potential Reasons:
• If the fetus is allowed to develop
normally and come to term, the
pregnant woman herself will die;
• It is not the woman’s life, but her
health, physical or mental, that will be
severely endangered, if the pregnancy
is allowed to continue;
• The pregnancy will probably or surely
produce a severely impaired child;

• Pregnancy is an outcome of rape or
incest;
• The pregnant woman is unmarried, and
there will be the social stigma of
illegitimacy;
• Having a child or another child will be
an unbearable financial burden; and
• Having a child will interfere with the
happiness of the woman, the joint
happiness of the couple, or the family
as a unit.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Zygote: is the cell or group of cells that
results from the union of the sperm and
egg cells
Embryo: refers to the developing human
individual from the second through the
seventh week of gestation or
pregnancy
Fetus: refers to the developing human
individual from the eighth week until
birth

Child: is normally used after the fetus is
born. However, it is also often used by
strong prolife advocates to refer to the
developing human individual from
shortly after conception.
Conceptus: means that which has been
conceived. It is a neutral term used to
refer to the developing human
individual from conception until birth,
thus avoiding the many emotional
overtones given to other terms by both
sides of the abortion issue.

Viability: occurs somewhere between the
twenty-sixth and twenty-eighth week of
gestation when the conceptus is considered
viable, that is, able to survive outside of the
mother’s womb. Birth usually occurs
between the 39th and 40th weeks of
pregnancy.
Amniocentesis: A procedure performed on the
sixteenth week of pregnancy where a needle
is inserted into the amniotic sac, where the
conceptus is gestating, and some of the
amniotic fluid is withdrawn from which
information about the conceptus is drawn
e.g. sex and abnormalities

PRINCIPLES
Value of Life Principle: basically in
relation to unborn life, but also in
relation to the life of the mother.
Principle of Individual Freedom: the
mother’s right over her own body,
procreativity, and life.

When does human life begin?
Developmental view: recognizes that life
is present from the conception but
allows for the possibility that there may
be later different point at which such a
life can be considered human

Arguments Against Abortion
1. The genetic view of the beginning of
human life.
2. The sanctity of life argument.
• States that every unborn, innocent child
must be regarded as a human person
with all the rights of a human person from
the moment of conception onward.
3. The domino argument.
• States that individual killings, mass
tortures and genocide began with the
legalization of abortion.

4. The dangers of abortion to the mother’s
life.
a. Medical dangers: involves an intru-
sion into the woman’s vagina and
womb that involves some danger
to her body. Various methods
used in abortion are the following:
a.1. Dilatation and curettage
(D&C): the woman’s cervix is
dilated, and a sharp curette,
a kind of scalpel, is used to
scrape the entire uterine
cavity.

a.2 Uterine aspiration: a suction
machine (aspirator), which
consists of a plastic
instrument at the end of a
hose, is used to “aspirate,”
or suction off, the conceptus
and related material. Like
the D & C, this is generally
used prior to the 12th week
of pregnancy.

a.3. Hysterectomy: after the
12th week of pregnancy, a
miniature caesarean
section can be performed.
An incision is made in the
abdominal wall and the
conceptus and related
material are removed, after
which the incision is
closed.

a.4. Saline abortion: is usually
performed during later
pregnancies (after the 12th), and
is usually preferred over
hysterectomy). In this proce
dure, a needle is inserted
through the abdominal wall into
the amniotic sac, where the
conceptus is floating. Some of
the amniotic fluid is drawn off
and replaced by a glucose,
saline, or prostaglandin
solution. In about twenty hours,
the woman goes into labor and
usually delivers a dead fetus.

a.5. Self-induced abortion: the
most dangerous of all
abortions because they are
not done under proper
medical supervision.
Infections and hemorrhaging,
complications which can kill
both the fetus and the
woman are usually the
outcome.

Aside from potential dangers, abortion
increases a woman’s chances of
having miscarriages in later
pregnancies; especially for young girls
who have had an abortion. Also,
repeated abortions increases the level
of danger.

b. Psychological dangers: the
woman has to live with a great
deal of guilt
5. The relative safety of pregnancy.
6. The existence of viable alternatives to
abortion.
7. The irrelevance of economic
considerations
8. Responsibility for sexual activities.
9. Rape and incest.

ARGUMENTS FOR
ABORTION
1. Absolute rights of women over their own
bodies.
2. Birth as the beginning of human life.
3. The problem of unwanted or deformed
children.
• Adoption as a poor solution.
• Lack of humane institutions.
4. The relative safety of abortion.
• The medical aspect.
• The psychological aspect.

5. Refutation of the domino argument.
6. The danger of pregnancy to the
mother’s life.
7. Rape and incest.
8. Responsibility for sexual activities.
9. Abortion as the woman’s choice.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
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Second Page
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Abortion

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