1.0 INTRODUCTION
Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by the removal or forcing out from the womb of a fetus or embryo before it is able to survive on its own. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is often called a miscarriage. It can also be purposely caused in which case it is known as an induced abortion. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy. The similar procedure after the fetus may be able to survive on its own is medically known as a “late termination of pregnancy” (Grimes and Stuart, 2010). In medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost. It is the expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception before the fetus is viable. Abortion can either be spontaneous or induced. Spontaneous abortion occurs naturally while induced abortion is artificial in the sense that several procedures are employed in the deliberate interruption of pregnancy and prematurely removing the fetus.
Modern medicine uses medications or surgical methods for induced abortion. The two medications mifepristone and prostaglandin are as effective as a surgical method in the first trimester (Kulieret al., 2011; Kappet al., 2013). While the use of medications may be effective
in the second trimester, surgical methods appear to have a lower risk of side effects (Wildschutet al., 2011). Birth control, including the pill and intrauterine devices can be startedimmediately after an abortion. Abortion in the developed world has a long history of being among the safest procedures in medicine when allowed by local law. Uncomplicated abortions do not cause either long term mental health or physical problems (Lohret al., 2014). The World Health Organization recommends that this same level of safe and legal abortions be available to all women globally (WHO, 2012). Unsafe abortions, however, result in approximately 47,000 maternal deaths and 5 million hospital admissions per year globally (Shah and Ahman, 2009).
1.1 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
An estimated 44 million abortions are performed globally each year, with slightly under half of those performed unsafely (Sedghet al., 2012). Rates of abortions have changed little between 2003 and 2008, after having previously spent decades declining as access to education regarding family planning and birth control improved. As of 2008, forty percent of the world’s women had access to legal induced abortions “without restriction as to reason”. There are; however, limits regarding how far along in pregnant they can be performed (Culwellet al.,
2010).
The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of abortion on females.