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Women 'using web for abortions'Women in Northern Ireland and over 70 countries with restrictions have used one of the main websites, Women on Web. A British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology review of 400 customers found nearly 11% had needed a surgical procedure after taking the medication. The website says it can help reduce the problems linked with unsafe abortions. 'Stressful experience' But anti-abortion campaigners called the development of such sites "very worrying indeed". The research into those who had used Women on Web found that about 8% did not end up using the medication they had ordered. Almost 11% went on to need a surgical procedure - either because the drugs had not completed the abortion or because of excessive bleeding. Almost 200 women answered questions about their experiences - 58% said they were just grateful to have been able to have had an abortion in this way, while 31% had felt stressed but found the experience acceptable. Women on Web posts the drugs only to countries where abortion is heavily restricted, and to women who declare they are less than nine weeks' pregnant. A US woman, who has a rare medical complication meaning pregnancy is life-threatening to her, described her experience when she used the website while in Thailand. "Women on Web kept in contact with me via e-mail. The medication arrived through Customs, properly blister-packed, with complete paperwork and a doctor's signature. "Medication from other websites came in unmarked bottles with no instructions or paperwork - it was quite frightening. "I was not very far along - only three or four weeks. It went smoothly for me. "I think it's very important women have this resource to turn to in that situation - and they can need it for a number of reasons." 'Reputable site' The Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland has had several calls from women considering buying abortion pills online. The FPA said that on two occasions, women bought drugs without appropriate medical information. They experienced complications and needed aftercare. Northern Ireland FPA director Audrey Simpson said: "The Women On Web site is very helpful and reputable. "But for Northern Ireland women, it is encouraging them to break the law - and as an organisation, we have to work within the law. "We're really concerned about women accessing the rogue sites - we're hearing about it and we know it's happening. "There are potentially serious medical complications for women from sites which aren't well managed and this could be the new era of backstreet abortions." Anti-abortion campaigners said they were appalled by such websites. Josephine Quintavalle, from the group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "This is very worrying indeed. It represents further trivialisation of the value of the unborn child. "It's like taking abortion into the shadows. These drugs have side-effects and tragedies will increase." Test to pick out viable embryosThe US developers told a European fertility conference it may improve IVF pregnancy rates by up to 15%. Selecting the embryo most likely to result in a successful pregnancy is the "Holy Grail" of fertility research. But clinics currently have to select which to use by assessing embryos under a microscope. Choosing the right embryo from the eight to 10 candidates usually available is key because if there is any damage, or it has not developed properly, the chances of a successful pregnancy are reduced. It is also increasingly important as IVF doctors move towards implanting just one embryo per treatment cycle to reduce the chance of a multiple birth. Pregnancy chance boost The ViaTestE device, developed by scientists from Yale, can score the metabolic activity of a sample of the fluid from around the embryo using spectrophotometry, which uses infrared light to measure the make-up of a substance. For example, it is used to tell if milk is full-fat or semi-skimmed. In this instance, the technology checks the activity of metabolites - the substances produced by the embryo. The team tested around 500 samples of embryo fluid, without knowing which had implanted successfully. The embryos had also been assessed in the clinics using the traditional method. That gave around a 40% rate of accurately identifying the embryos which developed into viable foetuses. But "fingerprinting" using the new test increased that rate to between 60% and 70%. From these and other results, the scientists believe using the test could improve pregnancy rates by between 10-15%. That would increase the success rate for women under 35 in the UK receiving IVF from 30% to 45%. 'Major priority' Trials of the test will begin in the Netherlands and Sweden later this year. But Denny Sakkas, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Yale University, who is involved in the work, said clinics, including those in the UK, would be able to use the test, marketed by Molecular Biometrics, early next year. He added: "Everyone's aim is to get patients pregnant, so the greatest impact of using this device would be in improving pregnancy rates by the 10-15% which it appears to have the potential to do. "And with the move to single embryo transfer, selecting the right embryo will become even more important." Dr Daniel Brison, co-director of the North West Embryonic Stem Cell Centre in Manchester, said: "The technique used by this, and other groups, of using infra-red spectroscopy to select embryos is very promising. "I have high hopes that this, and or, other metabolic profile techniques will be used in clinics throughout the UK within the next two to three years. "There is a very real need to improve our IVF success rates as at the moment four out of five attempts don't work. "If we can get better at choosing the best embryo to implant then we can increase the efficiency of IVF, move towards single embryo transfers and thus reduce the risk to mothers and babies." But he said further research was needed to confirm the test was useful. He added: "It will be of most help to mothers who can produce a large number of embryos as there will be more options to choose from. "Unfortunately it will be less beneficial for women, such as older mothers, who are only able to produce one or two embryos." Romanian girl permitted abortionA government committee said the procedure should go ahead due to the exceptional circumstances of her case. Romania's abortion limit is 14 weeks. It had been suggested the girl might travel to the UK for the abortion. Some 20 Christian Orthodox groups had threatened to press charges if the girl was allowed to abort the foetus. In a letter to the government committee, the girl said she wanted to be able "to go to school and to play". "If I can't do this my life will be a nightmare," she said, according to a text read out by government committee member Vlad Iliescu. "The committee has decided that a voluntary termination of the pregnancy can be carried out," said Mr Iliescu. He said the abortion could take place because the girl was a victim of sexual abuse and faced "major risks to her mental health" if the pregnancy continued. Another committee member, Theodora Bertzi said the decision was made focusing on "the rights of this child who was subjected to rape and incest". The committee said the case highlighted the need for "clarifications with regard to the exceptional circumstances" that would allow late-term abortions to go ahead. 'Family decision' The girl was raped by a 19-year-old uncle who has since disappeared. Her family only discovered she was pregnant when they took her to the doctor because she seemed sick. While some pro-life Christian Orthodox groups had urged the family to keep the child, and offered to raise it in a church institution, the Romanian Orthodox Church said any decision on abortion should be left to the family. The girl's parents had said they wanted to travel to a country where such a late-term abortion was legal. In Romania abortion is only normally allowed beyond 14 weeks if the mother's life is deemed to be at risk. In Britain, they can be carried out up to 24 weeks in some circumstances. A Romanian living in the UK had offered to cover the costs of a termination there. Abortion, termination of a pregnancy before birth, resulting in the death of the fetus. Some abortions occur naturally because a fetus does not develop normally or because the mother has an injury or disorder that prevents her from carrying the pregnancy to term. This type of spontaneous abortion is commonly known as a miscarriage. Other abortions are induced—that is, intentionally brought on—because a pregnancy is unwanted or presents a risk to a woman’s health, or because the fetus is likely to have severe physical or mental health problems. Induced abortion, the focus of this article, is one of today’s most intense and polarizing ethical and philosophical issues. Modern medical techniques have made induced abortions simpler and less dangerous. But in the United States, the debate over abortion has led to legal battles in the courts, in the Congress of the United States, and state legislatures. The debate has spilled over into confrontations, which are sometimes violent, at clinics where abortions are performed. (Medical Abortion, Home Abortion, Type of Abortion) This article discusses the most common methods used to induce abortions, the social and ethical issues surrounding abortion, and the history of the regulation of abortion in the United States. (Medical Abortion, Home Abortion, Type of Abortion) |
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Medical Abortion | Home Abortion | Type of Abortion |
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