Abortion is medically defined as the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before

it is viable. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy, or can be induced, in humans and in other species. An induced abortion may be referred to as either therapeutic or elective. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy; spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.

 D.J. Feldman was 11 weeks pregnant last year when she learned that her child had anencephaly, a fetal defect that left the baby with almost no brain. It is always fatal. Feldman, a 41-year-old federal lawyer, and her husband had been trying for two years to have a baby. Sadly, her doctor "made it very clear I wasn't to continue this pregnancy," she said.

 Feldman's health was in jeopardy. The minority of babies with anencephaly that are carried to term -- dying shortly after birth -- cause complications such as "dysfunctional labor and postpartum hemorrhage, which can increase the risk for the mother. And so, an abortion was medically necessary.

There are two commonly used methods of measuring the incidence of abortion: Abortion rate - number of abortions per 1000 women between 15 and 44 years of age Abortion ratio - number of abortions out of 100 known pregnancies (excluding miscarriages and stillbirths) 65, 000 maternal deaths reported annually.

 Induced/Intentional Abortion reasons may be characterized as: - elective - therapeutic Spontaneous (Miscarriage)

 Medical Surgical

ABORTION
Care Management

Maintain bed rest of the client. Monitor vital signs. Monitor bleeding and cramping. Count perineal pads to evaluate blood loss and save expelled tissues and clots. Maintain intravenous fluids as prescribed, nurses should monitor for signs of shock. Prepare the client for dilatation and curettage as prescribed for incomplete abortion.

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
Use of misoprostol (a prostaglandin, brand name Cytotec) to encourage completion of the miscarriage.

SURGICAL
D&C D&E Risks: injury to cervix and uterus perforation of the uterus potential scarring of the intrauterine lining

 Better sex education would be nice. Teach kids that they are not merely animals subject to their lusts. They are beings with higher thought processes capable of making rational decisions. 1 out of every 4 sexually active individual has an STD. That doesn't prove to be good odds. Condoms don't always stop STDs such as herpes, which is a life long virus. Mandatory sonograms before the abortion so that the mother can see exactly what it is that she has growing inside her.

ADOPTION: as an alternative to abortion

Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents.

3 Types of Adoption
Open Adoption Plan. Semi Private Adoption Plan Confidential Adoption Plan

CONCLUSION
Contraception and abortion are two different concepts and issues, which present consequences. It could be deduced that both of these issues present significant effects in the society and in the population. Contraception and abortion have a connection. Contraception facilitates the kind of relationships and even the kind of attitudes and moral characters that are likely to lead to abortion .The contraceptive mentality treats sexual intercourse as though it had little natural connection with babies; it thinks of babies as an accident of pregnancy, as an unwelcome intrusion into a sexual relationship, as a burden.

Teenage Pregnancy

Lynn came to the center seeking an abortion. She had recently moved to our community to live with her boyfriend and she had no support systems. Her boyfriend had become abusive and she had spent the night in a shelter. She looked so weary, her only words a repeated request for an abortion. At the center, Lynn was told what an abortion would entail, and she agreed to an ultrasound. She openly expressed hope that it was not a viable pregnancy. She remained resolute regarding the abortion and felt it was the only answer for her. She agreed to a second ultrasound, but did not show up at her appointed time. When she did not return my calls, I anticipated the worst. On Thursday afternoon, Lynn walked into our center and my heart melted. I was so happy to see her, though I dreaded hearing that she had terminated her pregnancy. I couldn't have been more wrong! I told her how happy I was to see her and that I had continued to pray for her. She told me she had started bleeding the day before. After several hours, the bleeding increased, so she became alarmed and drove herself to the ER. Whatever was going on, it involved a lot of pain. Hours later, she experienced a miscarriage and was discharged from the hospital that morning. "I wanted you to know that I didn't get an abortion and I am glad I didn't, she said. Every time I tried to go through with it, I just couldn't. I had begun to think about adoption." She wanted me to know that her boyfriend had been arrested, as we had prayed, and she felt safer knowing he was locked up. Lynn asked for names and locations of churches, because "I want to believe in something greater than myself. I know I need God." She told me how glad she was that she had come to our pregnancy center

TEENAGE PREGNANCY
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, teenage pregnancy has adverse consequences for the parents, the child, and society. Pregnant teens are less likely to complete high school and attend college than teenagers who avoid pregnancy. Many teenage parents live below the poverty level and rely on welfare. The children of teenage parents receive inadequate medical care, have more problems in school, and spend more time in prison than children of adult parents.

 Some social critics argue that because pregnancy limits a teenagers opportunities for education and well-paying jobs, many are forced to accept welfare to support themselves and their children. Only 64 percent of teen moms graduate from high school or earn a general education diploma within two years after they would have graduated compared with 94 percent of teenage girls who do not give birth. This lack of education increases the risk of poverty and welfare dependence by severely restricting a young parents opportunity for a lucrative job and financial independence.

 The absence of many teenage fathers further increases a young mothers risk of poverty and welfare dependence. The teenage marriage rate has declined in recent decades, leaving many young mothers without a husbands financial support.

In 1996 Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, otherwise known as the welfare reform bill. One intention of the bill was to reduce the number of teenage and out-of-wedlock pregnancies by making benefits more difficult for teenage parents to obtain. The law forbids states from using federal funds to provide assistance to unmarried parents under the age of eighteen who have a child that is at least twelve weeks old unless the parents have completed high school or are enrolled in school or training programs

 As leaders in patient education, we should campaign for better sex education by offering parent education classes, classes for adolescents in a relaxed or nonregulated environment, and reproduction support for sexually active teens Nurses can host classes for parents and discuss these misconceptions as well as providing strategies for making it easier to talk to the children about sex.

 Classes for adolescents at school, designed through a collaborative approach of parents, school nurses and educators, are also important in improving confidence and self esteem. Separate sexual education classes in school for boys and girls allows more freedom to ask questions that might be embarrassing to ask in front of the opposite sex. Adding an anonymous question and answer system might also be a way of decreasing anxiety and increasing confidence.

 Sexual health is a matter of perception and nurses need to realize that sexuality falls within the realm of holistic nursing. Research quoted by Taylor and Davis (2006) states that patients do not voice their concerns about sexuality and sexual health because they want someone to raise the subject first. Providing literature and advertising to school nurses, health rooms, community centers and other teen hang outs, about this program can help target teens and give them another opportunity for sexual health discussion.

CARE MANAGEMENT
Because the body of a teen is still growing she will need more nutritional support to meet both her needs and that of her baby. Nutritional counseling can be a large portion of prenatal care, usually done by a doctor or a midwife, sometimes a nutritionist. This counseling will usually include information about prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and the dos and don'ts of eating and drinking. Lack of proper nutrition can lead to problems like anemia (low iron), low weight gain, etc. Another problem facing teen mothers is the use of drugs and alcohol, including cigarette smoking. No amount of any of these substances is safe for use in pregnancy. In fact, their use can complicate pregnancy even further increasing the likelihood of premature birth and other complications. Premature birth and low birth weight create a wealth of their own problems, including brain damage, physical disabilities and more. The potentially lengthy hospital stay and increased risk of health problems for these babies leads to more stress on the teen mother.

 While facing the grim realities of teen pregnancy is not pleasant, this is not the picture that has to be painted. Teen mothers are perfectly capable of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. With the proper nutrition, early prenatal care and good screening for potential problems the majority of these potential problems will not come to light. While some tend to think that you can't teach a teen mother anything about her body or baby, it's really a ridiculous notion. Many of the teen mothers who take active roles in their care do go on to have healthy babies, despite the other hardships that they will face in their lives. Support from the families and communities is a must for the young, new family to be successful.