Abortion

Abortion


By Bruce J. Cameron


Abortion, just the word alone brings strong images and emotions to most people whether or not they have religious reasons for their viewpoint.



It is a very controversial issue made all the more complicated by the current push by some in Congress to include funding for abortions in the new health legislation. Your view on the issue of abortion notwithstanding, it is clearly not something that should be paid for by taxpayers. So, with that position stated, let’s move on to the reasons that some people consider having an abortion.



Here are some definitions that may be helpful:



Embryo – from conception to 8th week of development

Fetus – a developing human from 2 months to birth.



First, the reasons that are absolutely not valid.



a. To terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

b. To terminate the pregnancy of a child of a certain sex, when that sex has been determined by ultrasound.



Next, the only valid reasons for having an abortion.



1. When the mother’s life is threatened by continuing the pregnancy.

2. When the embryo is not viable.

3. The pregnancy was caused by rape.

4. The pregnancy was caused by incest.



Numbers 3 and 4 are only valid when the pregnancy is in the first trimester. A better alternative

would be an embryo transfer to a woman who desires a child. See page 2 for more information on human embryo transfer.



My friend, James B. Andrews of Cave Creek, AZ commented “If women were born sterile and needed a fertilizing shot to be fertile,
there would be no abortions performed. We do not have an abortion problem; we have an unwanted pregnancy problem, caused by
conflicting education/communication problems. Since this is not possible, then voluntary temporary sterilization (birth control)
must be taught and socially accepted by all. The process starts by having everyone be taught at a young age, at home and in school, and then enforced by society in general, the following statement, “EVERY CHILD BORN MUST BE A WANTED CHILD, WANTED BY BOTH
PARENTS”.



I heartily agree with Jim’s statement and would add that I am “Pro-Choice” and the choice to be made is before sex, not after!



To engage in sex for pleasure, without desiring the result to be the creation of a child, one must actively engage in proven birth
control measures such as condoms, birth control medication or sterilization. To actively engage in sexual activity,
without desiring the result to be the creation of a child, and to consciously not use the inexpensive birth control procedures
mentioned above is, simply, gross personal irresponsibility. If a pregnancy occurs and to then seek an abortion, as opposed to
giving birth or considering an embryo transplant, is grossly immoral and made worse if the individual seeks taxpayer funding for
the abortion. To ask for taxpayer funding for the result of an act that is totally voluntary and absolutely avoidable is
tantamount to theft or extortion.



Revised 04/10/16




History of Human embryo transfers.


The first transfer of an embryo from one human to another resulting in pregnancy was reported in July 1983 and subsequently led to
the announcement of the first human birth February 3, 1984.[16] This procedure was performed at the Harbor UCLA Medical Center
[17] under the direction of Dr. John Buster and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine.


In the procedure, an embryo that was just beginning to develop was transferred from one woman in whom it had been conceived by
artificial insemination to another woman who gave birth to the infant 38 weeks later. The sperm used in the artificial
insemination came from the husband of the woman who bore the baby.[18][19]


This scientific breakthrough established standards and became an agent of change for women suffering from the afflictions of
infertility and for women who did not want to pass on genetic disorders to their children. Donor embryo transfer has given women
a mechanism to become pregnant and give birth to a child that will contain their husband’s genetic makeup. Although donor
embryo transfer as practiced today has evolved from the original non-surgical method, it now accounts for approximately 5%
of in vitro fertilization recorded births.


Prior to this, thousands of women who were infertile, had adoption as the only path to parenthood. This set the stage to allow open
and candid discussion of embryo donation and transfer. This breakthrough has given way to the donation of human embryos as a
common practice similar to other donations such as blood and major organ donations. At the time of this announcement the event
was captured by major news carriers and fueled healthy debate and discussion on this practice which impacted the future of
reproductive medicine by creating a platform for further advancements in woman's health.


This work established the technical foundation and legal-ethical framework surrounding the clinical use of human oocyte and embryo
donation, a mainstream clinical practice, which has evolved over the past 25 years.[18][19] Building upon this
groundbreaking research and since the initial birth announcement in 1984, well over 47,000 live births resulting from donor
embryo transfer have been and continue to be recorded by the Centers for Disease Control(CDC)[20] in the United States to
infertile women, who otherwise would not have had children by any other existing method.[21][22]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo_transfer