Abortion is the removal of a fetus from the uterus before it is mature enough to live on its own. Around the world, and in the United States especially, this procedure has been extremely controversial with strong feelings on the side favoring abortion as well as those who oppose it. A comprehensive understand of what the process of abortion actually entails is necessary in truly understanding the controversy.
A medical abortion is one that is brought about by taking medications that will end a pregnancy. The alternative is surgical abortion, which ends a pregnancy by emptying the uterus (or womb) with special instruments. A medical abortion is usually done without entering the uterus. It is the doctor's decision whether or not to use methotrexate or mifepristone as medication for medical abortion because they work in different ways and each will have slightly different effects on a woman's body. Each of these medications is taken in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to induce an abortion. Before any abortion can be done, a medical professional must confirm that a woman is indeed pregnant and determine exactly how long she has been pregnant. Medical abortions can be performed as early as a pregnancy can be confirmed. Actually, the shorter the time that a woman has been pregnant, the more effective the medications are. Because they do not work as well later in pregnancy, medical abortion is often .
not an option after seven weeks.
(prochoice.org/Facts/Factsheets).
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Methotrexate has been used in the US since 1953, when the FDA to treat certain types of cancer approved it. Since that time, medical researchers have discovered other important uses for the drug. One of the uses is to end unintended pregnancies. Although the FDA did not consider methotrexate for this specific purpose, clinicians are now prescribing methotrexate for early abortion. Methotrexate is usually given to a pregnant woman in the form of an injection or shot, although it can be taken orally.