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Abortion Can Be Medically Necessary

Pregnancy imposes significant physiological changes on a person’s body. These changes can exacerbate underlying or preexisting conditions, like renal or cardiac disease, and can severely compromise health or even cause death. Determining the appropriate medical intervention depends on a patient’s specific condition. There are situations where pregnancy termination in the form of an abortion is the only medical intervention that can preserve a patient’s health or save their life.

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 What are some of the medical reasons why an abortion is necessary?

Not in any way trying to take away from people who choose to have an abortion for non-medical reasons, which are equally valid, this post will explore some of the medical reasons for which an abortion is necessary.

 ‘Is an abortion medically necessary?’ is not a question for ethicists to answer

Abortion raises many ethical questions. Determining whether an abortion is needed to save a pregnant person’s life or health is not among them. That’s a factual question requiring medical — not ethical — judgment. Yet in the struggle to provide medically necessary care in a post-Dobbs world, some clinicians and institutions have mistakenly turned to ethics consultants and committees to decide whether a patient’s pregnancy may be terminated.

Articles of Interest

WMA Statement on Medically-Indicated Termination of Pregnancy

Medically-indicated termination of pregnancy refers only to interruption of pregnancy due to health reasons, in accordance with principles of evidence-based medicine and good clinical practice. This Declaration does not include or imply any views on termination of pregnancy carried out for any reason other than medical indication.

"Abortion Can Be Medically Necessary"

"Abortion can be medically necessary in the case of the life or health of the mother." Have you heard this argument before? It seems rational and compassionate, but the truth is that abortion is never medically necessary, even in cases to save the mother’s life. Neonatologist Dr. Kendra Kolb walks us through the different scenarios where abortion might be considered, but would never be an actual necessity.

Gallup Vault: Public Supported Therapeutic Abortion in 1962

In 1962, when a pregnant Arizona woman discovered that a sleeping pill she had been taking contained thalidomide, a drug known in the U.S. to cause birth defects, she tried unsuccessfully to obtain a legal abortion in the U.S. Ultimately, she chose to travel to Sweden, where she had an abortion. An August 1962 Gallup poll -- the first poll dealing with abortion in Gallup's history -- showed that her decision was supported by 52% of Americans who said it was the right thing to do, but 32% thought it was the wrong decision.

Is Abortion Medically Necessary?

It is widely assumed that induced abortion is sometimes necessary to preserve a pregnant woman’s life or health. Yet, while it is true that ending pregnancy is sometimes required to achieve this, it need not be with abortive intent: first, because the death of the fetus provides no additional therapeutic benefit to terminating a pregnancy by early delivery, and, second, when a pregnancy is terminated without feticidal intent in order to save the mother’s life,

Late-Term Abortion and Medical Necessity: A Failure of Science

While the concept of medical necessity has been defined in myriad ways, a few key elements present in all of the definitions across a range of medical specialties are especially relevant in the context of induced abortion...

Medical Indications for Abortion

Some patients might seek an abortion due to a serious pregnancy complication, while for others, a chronic medical condition might make pregnancy dangerous or limit treatment options. The range of situations where abortion is medically indicated extends across medical specialties; many of these situations are not obvious.

Terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons (TFMR)

Deciding whether to have a termination for medical reasons can be very difficult. You should be given all the information you need to help you make the best decision for you and be supported throughout the process.

Therapeutic termination of pregnancy and women’s mental health: Determinants and consequences

The therapeutic termination of pregnancy (TToP) is an induced abortion following a diagnosis of medical necessity. TToP is applied to avoid the risk of substantial harm to the mother or in cases of fetal unviability. This type of induced abortion is provided after the second semester of gestation if fetal illness or the pregnancy cause physical danger or pathological mental distress to the mother.

What Percentage of Abortions Are Medically Necessary?

Naturally, the percentage of abortions allegedly performed to save the life or health of the mother will vary somewhat based on country, but we can see from the testimony of doctors and researchers that these cases are exceedingly rare. Even abortionists testify that if there is a medical emergency, the course of action is to deliver the baby prematurely, because to go through the stages required by a surgical abortion (laminaria, stretching the cervix, etc.) would cause more, not less danger to the mother.

When Is Abortion Considered Medically Necessary?

Overall, the medical necessity of abortion in some cases is clear—despite the often indeterminate language of certain laws. "There are situations where pregnancy termination in the form of the abortion is the only medical intervention that can preserve a patient's health or save their life," the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Physicians for Reproductive Health wrote in a 2019 joint statement. "As physicians, we are focused on protecting the health and lives of the patients for whom we provide care. Without question, abortion can be medically necessary."

Resources

6 Scenarios Where Abortion Can Be Lifesaving

While some people seek abortions because they don’t want to be a parent, others choose to terminate because continuing a pregnancy could put their life in danger. Termination may also be chosen because a fetus has lethal congenital abnormalities. With Roe overturned, and abortion access now determined by a patchwork of state laws, even people who want to continue their pregnancies have less control over their health.