Chapter 6
methodbywhichawomandeterminesher
fertilitywindow,onlyabout100-120hours
permonth,andavoidssexualintimacy
duringthattimetoavoidpregnancy
(FertilityAwarenessMethods,2008).
Differentmethodsareusedtodetermine
thewindowof fertility,makingitnearlyas
effectiveasartificialbirthcontrolmethods.
Thesemethodscanalsobeusedbycouples
desiringpregnancytoidentifythebesttime
forconceiving.
Another way toprevent pregnancy is
emergency contraception (EC)calledthe
morning-after pill.It isintendedfor
occasionaluseandmust betaken within
thefirst 72hoursafter unprotected
intercourse(MayoClinic Staff,2008).
Thereismuch controversy surrounding
theuseof themorning-afterpill,sometimes
calledPlan B.Becausethereisquestion
whether it workstoprevent conception or
toprevent implantation of thefertilized
egg,somepeopleconsider thisan abortion
agent.Becauseit worksin a similar way to
birth controlpills,theFDA considersit
birth control,but many conservative
groupsdisagreeandarealarmedat the
rapidincreasein salessinceit became
availablein 1999by prescription andin
2006without a prescription (Stein,2007).
Since 1976 it has been legal for women
to end their pregnancy during the first
and second trimester.Anabortionis a
procedure used to end a pregnancy.
However taboo abortion may be,abortion
has become widespread in America.In
2005,there were 19.4 abortions per 1000
women aged 15 to 44 (Guttmacher
Institute 2008a),which equals out to
slightly more than 1 in 5 pregnancies
ending in abortion.While this may seem
high,the abortion rate has been steadily
falling in the U.S.since 1981 (Guttmacher
Institute).Christians cannot hide from
these statistics,as 43% of people
obtaining abortions identify themselves as
Protestant and another 27% as Catholic.
Most women who seek abortions have
never yet married and over half already
have one or more children (Guttmacher
Institute).
An abortion isa procedureinvolving
drugsor surgery toremovetheembryo
andplacenta from theuterus.Sidebar 6.2
presentsan interestingthought on when a
baby isreally a baby.In a medicalabortion,
an oraldrugistaken in thefirst 8weeksto
abort thebaby.In 2005,abortion by
medication accountedfor 13%of all
abortions.Thistypeof abortion wasjust
approvedin 2000by theFoodandDrug
Administration,andalready over half of
abortion providersprovidethemedication
option (Guttmacher Institute,2009).A
2007study of nearly 12,000women
concludedthat thistypeof abortion does
not increasetherisk of futuremiscarriages,
ectopic pregnancy or preterm delivery
(Pruthi,2007).
Inasurgicalabortion,thebabyis
removedfromtheuteruswithavacuum
pumporsyringeduringanoutpatient