linics and hospitals provide later stage abortions in which the patient is nearing the end of the second trimester (five months or more pregnant). Robertson (1988, p. 5) adds that approximately 1.5 million abortions are performed on an annual basis in America for such purposes as family planning. Dr. McMahon (Tumulty, 1990), a physician who specializes in abortions in the State of California, estimates that approximately 1.4 million abortions occur annually in this country. Dr. Grimes (Tumulty, 199O), a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, estimates that California has the highest rate of abortions when compared with other states, with 48 of these procedures occurring for every 1,000 women aged 15 44 in 1985. Regardless of the absolute number of abortions being performed in this country on an annual basis, what is clear is that this procedure is often used despite the existence of numerous birth control methods.
The medical issues related to the receipt of abortion are primarily contingent upon two factors: the stage of pregnancy and the type of procedure selected by the physician. Legge (1985) reports that the procedure Dilatation and Curettage (D & C), with a number of variations, has been the most used form of abortion since the early 197Os when it was discovered being used extensively in China and later introduced in the United States. While death of the woman is a rare occurrence subsequent to D & C in general, when performed by a competent physician, traditional D & C has a higher death rate than suction D & C. This higher death rate is due to such factors as fever, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the uterus, hemorrhage, retained products of conception, and urinary tract infection. Further, there is the possibility of impaired futur
...