The difference between spontaneous and procured abortion

by | Jun 2, 2025 | biology

 

 

Explain the difference between spontaneous and procured abortion. As well as their Ethical impact of each one.
Why can the contraceptive pill, the IUD and the “morning after” pill also be considered abortifacients?
Abortion methods, depending on the stage of pregnancy. Explain each one.
Describe the Roe Vs. Wade case and provide a summary of Norma McCorvey’s life.
Describe some better alternatives to abortion.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

The topic of abortion is multifaceted, encompassing medical, ethical, legal, and personal dimensions. Here’s a breakdown of the requested information:

Difference Between Spontaneous and Procured Abortion

  1. Spontaneous Abortion (Miscarriage):

    • Definition: A spontaneous abortion, commonly known as a miscarriage, is the natural, unintentional loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation. It occurs without any medical or surgical intervention intended to end the pregnancy.
    • Causes: Most miscarriages (around 80%) occur in the first trimester and are often due to chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus, which prevent it from developing normally. Other causes can include uterine abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, infections, chronic health conditions in the mother, or lifestyle factors.
    • Ethical Impact:
      • Grief and Loss: For the expectant parents, a miscarriage is often a deeply painful and traumatic experience, involving grief, sadness, and a sense of loss for the hoped-for child.
      • Emotional and Psychological Toll: The emotional impact can be significant, leading to feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety, and depression. There is generally societal empathy and support for those experiencing miscarriage.
      • No Moral Culpability: Ethically, spontaneous abortion is not considered a moral choice or action by the parents, as it is an involuntary biological event. There is no question of moral culpability attached to the loss of the pregnancy in this context.

The topic of abortion is multifaceted, encompassing medical, ethical, legal, and personal dimensions. Here’s a breakdown of the requested information:

Difference Between Spontaneous and Procured Abortion

  1. Spontaneous Abortion (Miscarriage):

    • Definition: A spontaneous abortion, commonly known as a miscarriage, is the natural, unintentional loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation. It occurs without any medical or surgical intervention intended to end the pregnancy.
    • Causes: Most miscarriages (around 80%) occur in the first trimester and are often due to chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus, which prevent it from developing normally. Other causes can include uterine abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, infections, chronic health conditions in the mother, or lifestyle factors.
    • Ethical Impact:
      • Grief and Loss: For the expectant parents, a miscarriage is often a deeply painful and traumatic experience, involving grief, sadness, and a sense of loss for the hoped-for child.
      • Emotional and Psychological Toll: The emotional impact can be significant, leading to feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety, and depression. There is generally societal empathy and support for those experiencing miscarriage.
      • No Moral Culpability: Ethically, spontaneous abortion is not considered a moral choice or action by the parents, as it is an involuntary biological event. There is no question of moral culpability attached to the loss of the pregnancy in this context.

  1. Procured Abortion (Induced Abortion):

    • Definition: A procured or induced abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy through medical or surgical means. This is what is typically referred to when the term “abortion” is used in common discourse.
    • Reasons: Reasons for procured abortion vary widely and can include personal choice, socio-economic factors, health risks to the pregnant person, fetal anomalies, or pregnancy resulting from rape or incest.
    • Ethical Impact: The ethical impact of procured abortion is profoundly debated and is at the heart of the “pro-choice” and “pro-life” divide.
      • Pro-Life Perspective: This view generally holds that human life begins at conception and therefore, a fetus has a right to life from that point. Procured abortion is considered the taking of an innocent human life and is seen as morally wrong, often equated to homicide. Ethical concerns center on the moral status of the embryo/fetus and its perceived right to life.
      • Pro-Choice Perspective: This view emphasizes bodily autonomy and the right of the pregnant individual to make decisions about their own body and reproductive health. Ethical considerations here focus on a person’s freedom, privacy, and control over their own lives, arguing that forcing someone to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term can have severe negative impacts on their physical, mental, social, and economic well-being.
      • Complex Scenarios: Ethical dilemmas are further complicated in cases of rape, incest, severe fetal anomalies, or when the pregnant person’s life is at risk, where the ethical weight of competing values (e.g., life of the mother vs. life of the fetus, trauma of the pregnant person) becomes intensely challenging.

Why Contraceptive Pill, IUD, and “Morning After” Pill Can Be Considered Abortifacients

The debate over whether certain birth control methods are “abortifacients” hinges on the definition of when a pregnancy begins.

  • Medical Definition of Pregnancy: Medically, pregnancy is generally considered to begin at implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine wall.
  • Alternative Definition (often used in “pro-life” arguments): Many who consider these methods abortifacients define pregnancy as beginning at fertilization (the fusion of sperm and egg).

Here’s how these methods are viewed through that lens:

  1. Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill (the “Pill”):

    • Primary Mechanism: Primarily works by preventing ovulation (release of an egg from the ovary).
    • Secondary Mechanism (where the “abortifacient” claim arises): If ovulation does occur and fertilization happens, the pill can also thicken cervical mucus (making it harder for sperm to reach the egg) and, crucially for this discussion, thin the lining of the uterus (endometrium). If the uterine lining is too thin, a fertilized egg might be unable to implant.
    • “Abortifacient” Argument: If pregnancy is considered to begin at fertilization, then preventing a fertilized egg from implanting (which is a potential, albeit less common, effect of the pill) could be seen as ending a pregnancy that has already “begun” at the cellular level.

  2. Intrauterine Device (IUD) – particularly the Copper IUD:

    • Primary Mechanism: The copper IUD (non-hormonal) works primarily by causing a localized inflammatory reaction in the uterus that is toxic to sperm and eggs, thereby preventing fertilization.
    • Secondary Mechanism (where the “abortifacient” claim arises): Similar to the pill, if fertilization does occur, the inflammatory reaction created by the copper IUD can also prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.
    • “Abortifacient” Argument: If pregnancy is considered to begin at fertilization, preventing implantation of a fertilized egg by the IUD’s action would be considered an abortifacient effect. Hormonal IUDs (e.g., Mirena) primarily thicken cervical mucus and suppress ovulation, but may also thin the uterine lining.

  3. “Morning After” Pill (Emergency Contraception):

    • Types: There are two main types: Levonorgestrel-based (e.g., Plan B One-Step) and Ulipristal acetate (e.g., Ella).
    • Primary Mechanism: Both types primarily work by delaying or inhibiting ovulation. If no egg is released, fertilization cannot occur. They are most effective when taken before ovulation.
    • Secondary Mechanism (where the “abortifacient” claim arises): There has been debate and some research suggesting that Ulipristal acetate (Ella) may also have an effect on the uterine lining that could prevent implantation even if fertilization has occurred. While the primary effect of both types is to prevent ovulation, the potential to prevent implantation, if fertilization has already happened, is the basis for the “abortifacient” argument.
    • “Abortifacient” Argument: Again, if pregnancy is defined as beginning at fertilization, then any action that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting is considered an abortifacient.

It’s important to note that from a strict medical definition where pregnancy begins at implantation, these methods are generally classified as contraceptives because their primary mode of action is to prevent pregnancy from establishing itself in the first place, rather than terminating an already implanted pregnancy. The “abortifacient” label is used by those who hold a broader definition of when life or pregnancy begins.

Abortion Methods, Depending on the Stage of Pregnancy

Abortion methods vary significantly depending on how far along the pregnancy is.

  1. Early Pregnancy (Up to 10-11 Weeks Gestation):

    • Medical Abortion (“Abortion Pill”):
      • Method: This involves taking two medications:
        • Mifepristone: Blocks the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for the pregnancy to continue. This causes the uterine lining to break down.
        • Misoprostol: Taken 24-48 hours later, this medication causes the uterus to contract and empty, similar to a miscarriage.
      • Process: Can often be done at home, sometimes with a follow-up visit. It’s often described as feeling like a heavy, crampy period.
      • Stage: Most commonly used for pregnancies up to 10-11 weeks, though regulations vary by location.
    • Vacuum Aspiration (Suction Aspiration):
      • Method: A minimally invasive surgical procedure where the cervix is gently dilated, and a thin tube is inserted into the uterus. Gentle suction is used to remove the pregnancy tissue.
      • Process: Usually takes 5-10 minutes. Can be performed with local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia.
      • Stage: Typically used up to 14-16 weeks, but most common in the first trimester (up to 12-14 weeks).

  2. Second Trimester (Typically 14-24 Weeks Gestation):

    • Dilation and Evacuation (D&E):
      • Method: This is a surgical procedure usually performed after 14 weeks. The cervix is dilated more significantly, sometimes over one or two days, using osmotic dilators (material that absorbs moisture and expands). The physician uses medical instruments (such as forceps) and suction to remove the pregnancy tissue from the uterus.

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