Prompt Cast
The Science Behind Abortion: Fetal Development, Procedures, and Risks
TLDR The Supreme Court's recent decision on abortion has sparked a need for updated scientific information. Scientific evidence shows that fetal pain is not possible until after 24 weeks of pregnancy, the majority of abortions occur before this time, and making abortion illegal does not decrease the number of abortions but rather makes them more dangerous.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, allowing states in the US to impose stricter abortion laws, and the court made scientific statements about abortions, such as fetuses feeling pain and the use of surgical instruments, so the podcast will provide updated science on these topics.
05:09
In the first few weeks of pregnancy, after fertilization, the cells divide and create a ball of cells that eventually folds in on itself to form the shape of a fetus, and by around 8 weeks, the embryo is about the size of a pumpkin seed and has a tiny, fully formed heart that is pumping blood.
09:55
According to scientific evidence, fetal pain is not possible until after 24 weeks of pregnancy, and the majority of abortions in the US occur before this time.
14:55
Abortion procedures in the first trimester can be done through medication or surgery, with medication abortion involving taking two pills to terminate the pregnancy and mimic a miscarriage, while surgical abortion involves the removal of the pregnancy by a doctor.
19:25
Abortion procedures in the first trimester involve opening the cervix and removing the pregnancy using suction or instruments, while later abortions may require the use of forceps and involve dismembering the fetus, with third trimester abortions being extremely rare and typically occurring due to serious complications or fetal abnormalities.
24:19
In third trimester abortions, the fetus is further along and the process may involve injecting the fetus with a drug to stop its heart and inducing labor, although these steps can also happen in second trimester abortions.
29:24
The reasons women get abortions include financial difficulties, timing not being right, partner-related issues, and the inability to support a child, and a significant percentage of women who get abortions identify as religious, including Catholic and Protestant.
33:52
Having an abortion in a safe and legal setting does not increase the risk of infertility or breast cancer, carrying a pregnancy to term is more dangerous than having an abortion, and medical guidelines recommend ending ectopic pregnancies to avoid life-threatening complications, but it is now up to individual states to decide if this will be allowed throughout the US.
38:29
Research shows that having an abortion does not increase the risk of mental health issues, but women who are unable to get abortions may experience worse anxiety and have fewer financial and career opportunities. Additionally, studies indicate that making abortion illegal does not decrease the number of abortions, but rather makes them more dangerous.
42:53
Making abortion illegal does not stop abortions, but rather makes them more dangerous, as evidenced by the stories of women resorting to dangerous methods to terminate pregnancies before abortion was legal in the US.
