Abortion Facts

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There are many different types of abortion. Abortions date back to 500 B.C. One of the first recorded

abortions were for the royal men’s mistresses in China. Women who

committed adultery often came to the conclusion of having an

abortion. Egypt was also known to have one of the first known

abortions. Christians approved abortions until the 18th to 19th centuries.

Christians thought abortions were acceptable until the mother could

feel the fetus kicking. The term for when the woman has reached this

point in her pregnancy is called quickening (Nordqvist).

The origin of the word abortion comes from the Latin language

(Nordqvist). In the 19th century, an abortion was not a well educated

procedure for doctors. Most methods were makeshift and were not

safe for the mother’s well being. Sharp and painful instruments were

used unlike today’s methods. Since abortion was illegal back in the old

days, women were forced to use coat hangers and other dangerous

household probes to induce abortion. Douching with strong chemicals

such as lye was also used. Most of these...

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