To the editor:
"The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety" (Ohio's Issue 1) deals with abortion at any time during pregnancy. All other reproductive rights are already available in Ohio. Those who want this abortion bill to pass will use misinformation to trick voters to vote for this bill.
A letter to the editor in the Oct. 1 edition of the Herald-Star contained misinformation ("Of trolleys and forced birth.") Here are the real facts that are readily available from reputable sources.
In the letter, the writer stated that some conditions put the mother at risk and others are "lethal fetal anomalies," which justify abortions. The writer claimed that women with ectopic pregnancies will not receive treatment which could lead to their death. An ectopic pregnancy is one that grows outside the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tubes. It occurs in approximately 2 percent of pregnancies. If the ectopic pregnancy is not removed, the tube can rupture, causing a medical emergency. When an ectopic pregnancy is discovered, the woman is sent for immediate treatment. This is not an abortion (Cleveland Clinic.) A molar pregnancy is a condition in which the pregnancy develops into a tumor called a hydatiform mole. It is very rare and is not a viable pregnancy. It must be surgically removed. This procedure is not an abortion (Mayo Clinic.).
Esophageal atresia is a rare condition in which the esophagus does not form as a continuous tube, but develops into two parts. This means that the child cannot take food by mouth. This condition is diagnosed at birth, not during the second or third trimesters. It is surgically corrected and the child can lead a normal life (Boston Children's Hospital.) Anencephaly and hydranencephaly are two rare anomalies in which parts of the brain are missing. They are incompatible with life. Most of these pregnancies end in miscarriage. If the pregnancy is carried to birth, the baby may be stillborn or will die shortly after birth (Cleveland Clinic.)
There is misinformation about the safety of abortion. Why are there no statistics about the complications from abortion? Abortions can lead to physical and psychological problems for the woman. There is a recent trend by abortion clinics to tell women seeking a medical abortion to get the pills by mail and perform the abortion at home. This can be dangerous, especially if the pregnancy has not been confirmed by ultrasound.
Physical complications of abortion include excessive bleeding, infection and death. Complications that can affect future pregnancies include failure to conceive due to complications from infection, miscarriages due to incompetent cervix and untreated Rh incompatibility leading to a condition in subsequent babies that must be treated by immediate transfusion after birth. Psychological complications include grieving, depression and post-abortion syndrome which is similar to PTSD. The symptoms of PSA can be triggered by anything that reminds the woman of a baby.
Every woman who seeks an abortion does not want an abortion. Some are coerced by their family or the baby's father.
This is accurate information about abortion.
Michalene A. King
Wintersville