ABORTION

Definition:
The willful killing of the fetus in the uterus, or the violent expulsion of the fetus from the
maternal womb resulting int he death of the fetus.

Fetal Development:
a. Pre embryonic period - the first five weeks of pregnancy from the first day of the last
menstruatal period.
b. Embryonic period - begins at 6th - 9th weeks.
c. Fetal period - begins at from the 10th week of pregnancy.

Legal Provisions on Abortion:

1. Art. 256 - Intentional Abortion
Essential Elements:
a. that the woman is pregnant;
b. violence was applied, or a drug or beverage was administered or a person acts
upon the pregnan woman,or a combination of all of the three acts;
c. as a consequence, the fetus was expelled from the uterus or the fetus dies;
d. the offender had the intention to abort the pregnancy.

2. Art. 257 - Unintentional Abortion

Essential Elements:
a. that there is a pregnant woman;
b. violence is used upon such pregnant woman without intending an abortion;
c. the violence is intentionally exerted;
d. as a result of the violence, the fetus dies, either in the uterus or after having
been expelled therefrom.
*Note: Unintention Abortion is committed only by VIOLENCE, that is actual
physical force.

3. Art. 258 - Abortion practice by the women herself or her parents

Essential Elements:
a. there is a pregnant woman who has suffered an abortion;
b. the abortion is inteded;
c. that the abortion is caused by:
i. the pregnant woman herself
ii. any other person with her consent; or
iii. any of her parents, with her consent for the purpose of concealing her
dishonor.
*Note: the liability of the pregnant woman is mitigated if the purpose is to
conceal her dishonor -- the reason is that when a woman becomes pregnant because of an illicit
love making, she gets befuddled and obfuscated by the fear of her dishonor being made public.
 4. Art. 259 - Abortion practice by a physician or midwife and dispensing of abortives
Essential Elements:
a. that there is a pregnant woman who has suffered an abortion;
b. that the abortion is intended;
c. that the offender who must be a physician or midwife, causes or assists in
causing the abortion;
d. the said physician or midwife takes advantage of his scientific knowledge or
skill.
*Note: Penalty for intentional abortion is imposed in its maximum period on a
physician or midwife.

5. Republic Act No. 4729 - An act to regulate the sale, dispensation, and/or
distribution of contraceptive drugs and devices.
Criminal abortion: art 256-259

Unsafe abortion:
46mil. abortion annually, roughly 20 mil. of it is performed under unsafe conditions.
- poorly trained providers, unsanitary circumstances, and crude and dangerous methods of self-
inducement.
-most common compliactions:
incomplete abortion;
tears in the cervix: the commonest form of traumatic post partum hemorrhage
- ostpartum bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is often defined as the loss of
more than 500 ml or 1,000 ml of blood within the first 24 hours following childbirth. it is the
leading cause of maternal mortality.
perforation of the uterus - holes in the uterus; Usually, perforations close up on
their own, but in some cases they can cause bleeding or damage to other internal organs,
and surgery may be required.
fever
infection
Septic shock is a serious medical condition that occurs when sepsis, which is
organ injury or damage in response to infection, leads to dangerously low blood pressure
that can cause respiratory or heart failure, stroke, failure of other organs, and death.
Sever hemorrhaging

ILLEGAL ABORTION
1. Drugs and toxins
a. emmenagogues
b. ecbolics - an agent that induces contractions of the uterus.
c. purgatives
2. Instrumentation
3. Violence
4. Local Interference
Types of Induced Abortions
1st week: micro-abortions:
-RU486(Mifepristone) is a synthetic steroid which works by blocking the effects
of progesterone, the natural hormone which is required to maintain the lining of the uterus during
pregnancy. RU486 starves the womb of progesterone, the lining of the womb breaks down, and it
is lost along with the developing embryo or foetus.
-Methotrexate interferes with the growth of certain cells of the body, especially
cells that reproduce quickly, such as cancer cells, bone marrow cells, and skin cells.
Methotrexate is used to treat certain types of cancer of the breast, skin, head and neck, or lung. It
is also used to treat severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Endocrine
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Inflammation and ulceration of the vagina
Very rare (less than 0.01%): Loss of libido (males and females), impotence, impaired
menstruation, vaginal discharge, infertility, abortion, fetal death, fetal defects, gynecomastia,
defective oogenesis or spermatogenesis, transient oligospermia, vaginal bleeding.
-the human uterus contracts to prostaglandins at any stage of pregnancy and also
during the nonfertile cycle. Prostaglandin production is increased at the time of labor (but not
before).