With the recent passage and signing of the \partial-birth abortion"" ban, much has been printed on the issue. Unfortunately, many have used false information and assumptions to further their cause. The real facts must be stated in order to have a true debate on the issue.
""Partial-birth abortion"" is not a medical term. It has been used mostly to label a procedure called dilation and extraction, but the bill is so vague that other procedures may be included. These abortions are incredibly rare, accounting for about 0.7 percent to 1.5 percent of all abortions performed (Grimes, JAMA, Aug. 26, 1998). The many statements made about the danger surrounding the procedure are completely false. Dilation and extraction procedure have a risk of death of 11.9 per 100,000 procedures, compared to the overall risk of death from pregnancy of 9.1 to 23.5 per 100,000 live births (Grimes). Obviously, these procedures can be considered safe.
Many of those fighting for the bill would also have you believe that the procedure is unnecessary. Conditions such as Eisenmenger syndrome, Marfan syndrome and cancer could cause maternal death (Grimes). Yet the ban does allow these procedures if the health of the mother's is in danger.
In light of all of this, we must be more skeptical and not take what the media says as facts outright. They may only be quoting those who support or oppose the bill, but they are still presenting us with lies that should never have been printed in the first place.
