Religious Studies: Abortion Coursework - page 1
Keywords: Religious Studies: Abortion Coursework GCSE Religious Studies Education RS RE R.E. R.S.
By slashwk on 23/11/2006 17:34:37
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 1 of 9 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Religious Studies: Abortion Coursework
What is meant by the word ‘abortion’?
Abortion is defined as the ‘premature death of a baby inside the womb and its expulsion from the mother’s body’. The word comes from the Latin word ‘aboriri’ which means ‘to fail to be born’. Sometimes a baby dies and departs from the womb due to natural causes- this is known as a ‘miscarriage’. A ‘procured abortion’ is what most people mean when they talk about abortion, and is the term given to the deliberate ending of a pregnancy.
An abortion involves the administering of a general anaesthetic in order to dilate the neck of the uterus. Then a suction device is used to remove the entire contents of the womb and larger parts, such as the head, are crushed and drawn out with the use of forceps. In late abortions, a lethal injection is given to the foetus before prostaglandin (labour inducing hormone) is supplied to the mother, and the dead foetus is delivered normally via the vagina. In both cases, special care is taken to ensure that no foetal tissue remains within the uterus of the woman, as it can cause infection, and ultimately: death. An abortion activating pill, RU486, is also available to be taken within the first ten weeks of pregnancy and is given under specialist care in hospitals.
Abortion is an unpleasant and gruesome procedure, so why would anyone consider having an abortion? Abortion would be considered an attractive option for many different reasons:
• The pregnancy may occur at a time when the woman is young, in full time education, or at crucial stages of her career- if she takes time out, it could be difficult to carry on where she left off
• The woman might not be in a stable relationship at the time, and she doesn’t want to risk ultimately raising a child on her own
• The pregnancy could jeopardise the health of the woman if it were to continue
• The child may be likely to have health problems (which can be tested for via ultrasound scanning and amniocentesis)
• The woman could be pregnant as a consequence of rape
A woman could choose to have an abortion due to any one of the above reasons, or she may decide that she just does not want the child even if it isn’t a serious burden.
Such a matter as abortion has strict laws due to its divisive moral and ethical state of affairs. In
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