When Does Life Begin?
Defining the beginning of human life is important because many people create their own definitions for life which are not not medically accurate.  All humans carry 46 chromosomes, 23 each from mother and father.  Life for all humans regardless of age begins at the moment egg and sperm unite combining 23 chromosomes from the male sperm with 23 chromosomes from the female egg totaling 46 chromosomes.  The sperm fertilized egg is medically referred to as the Zygote. The Zygote may take 3 - 4 days to adhere to the mother's uterine wall for further development and sustenance. Following the Zygote stage, the Embryo is defined as the product of conception from implantation in the uterus through the eighth week of development.  Life begins at the moment of conception - the instant the egg and sperm unite.

Abortion Types

There are three abortion types: 1. Natural, 2. Medical, and 3. Surgical.

1. Natural: A natural abortion may occur in a woman without medical or surgical assistance. A natural abortion occurs when the Zygote does not adhere to the uterine wall. Without adherance the Zygote is not capable of surviving and naturally passes out of the uterus.

2. Medical: A medical abortion occurs when medications are used to either stop the life of the Zygote, prevent the Zygote from adhering to the uterine wall, or to medically cause the Zygote to be separated from the uterine wall. Medications that result in a medically induced abortion are called "abortifatients".

3. Surgical: A surgical abortion occurs when surgical procedures are done to physically remove the Embryo from the uterine wall.  Surgery is a medical term meaning inserting tools into the body to remove or repair by manual or instrumental means. 

Morning After Pill / Plan B (Medically Induced Abortion)
The “Morning After Pill” (also called Plan B) is a large dose of oral contraceptive. The medication is actually 2 tablets, one taken within 72 hours of intercourse and the second 12 hours later. The Morning After Pill / Plan B is not the same as RU486.

The Morning After Pill / Plan B acts as an emergency contraceptive principally by preventing ovulation or fertilization. In addition, it may inhibit implantation. The Morning After Pill / Plan B is not intended to be effective once the process of implantation has begun. If the Zygote does not adhere to the uterine wall, a natural abortion occurs as the Zygote passes out of the uterus. The purpose of the Morning After Pill / Plan B is to prevent the fertilized egg, the Zygote from adhering to the uterine wall thereby creating a medically induced abortion. Naturally occurring abortions and medically induced abortions are not the same.

The Morning After Pill / Plan B does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases. The most common side effects in the Plan B clinical trial were nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and menstrual changes. These side effects are a product of high doses of medication.

RU486 / Mifepristone (Medically Induced Abortion)
RU486 (also called the 'Abortion Pill') is only approved for use in women up to the 49th day after their last menstrual period (LMP). RU486 as administered by a physician usually requires three office visits. Initial medication is intended to medically cause death of the Embryo. Following death of the Embryo the woman's body may naturally abort the Embryo, causing the body to release the embryo from the uterine wall to pass out of the uterus. However, the body sometimes will not naturally release the deceased embryo from the uterine wall. If the body does not release the lifeless embryo, another dose of medication may cause the uterine to release the embryo from the uterus. If the body does not release the embryo, aspiration, curettage or dilation and evacuation may be required (see below).

Manual Vacuum Aspiration (Surgically Induced Abortion)
The Manual Vacuum Aspiration surgical abortion is done early in the pregnancy up until 7 weeks after the woman's last menstrual period. A long thin tube is inserted into the uterus with a large syringe attached to the tube. The embryo is suctioned off of the uterine wall and out of the uterus through the tube.

Suction Curettage (Surgically Induced Abortion)
This is the most common surgical abortion. Because the baby is larger, the doctor must stretch open the mother's cervix and insert a tube which is attached to a suction machine. The suction machine pulls the baby's body apart, through the tube and out of the uterus. Sometimes the tube and the suction are not able to completely remove all the body parts of the baby. In the case where body parts remain the doctor inserts a curette which is a spoon shaped knife designed to scrape remaining body parts out of the uterus.

Dilation and Evacuation (D & E) (Surgically Induced Abortion)
This surgical abortion is done during the second trimester (13 - 24 weeks after LMP). At this point in the pregnancy the baby's body is too large to be broken up by suction alone and often can not pass through the suction tubing. Therefore the cervix must be widened to permit the doctor to insert medical tools to cut, break apart, or crush body parts into small enough pieces to be removed from the mother's uterus through the suction tube. Remaining body parts that are adhered to the uterine walls must be scraped off with a curette. If remaining body parts remain in the mother's body infections can occur.

Dilation and Extraction (D & X) (Surgically Induced Abortion)
This is similar to D&E, but in D & X, the baby is too big to break into pieces in the mother's womb. The doctor locates the legs of the baby and pulls the baby nearly completely out of the womb with the exception of the head. Scissors are inserted into the baby's head to create an opening. A suction catheter is placed into the opening and the brain is removed. After the skull collapses the entire body of the baby is removed.