Medical Termination of Pregnancy: Have you ever wondered how babies are born or how the pregnancy occurs? Pregnancy is the term given to the time period that an offspring takes to grow inside the womb of a  mother. Pregnancy is also known as gestation. When there is a need to terminate this pregnancy in certain situations with the use of medicine, then it is known as Medical Terminated Pregnancy. Medical termination of pregnancy is also known as MTP or medical abortion. Read this article to know more about medical termination of pregnancy, its procedure, uses, misuses, and recovery of the body after medical termination of pregnancy.

Definition of Medical Termination of Pregnancy

Medical Termination of Pregnancy or MTP is a term that is used for medical abortion. It is a  voluntary or intentional process in which pregnancy is deliberately terminated by the working professionals. Thus, it is also termed as intentional or voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Pregnancy can be terminated either with the help of medicine or surgery. In the early stages of pregnancy that is between 7-9 weeks, pregnancy can be terminated with the use of medicines. Medical termination of pregnancy is safe up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Otherwise, a surgical procedure is required to terminate the pregnancy.

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Is Medical Termination of Pregnancy Legal in India?

Medical termination of pregnancy is the method used to terminate unwanted or unintentional pregnancies. Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 is an attempt of the Indian government to urge to eliminate unwanted pregnancy legally without any misuse. The motive of this act was to focus on unwanted pregnancies of any woman with certain terms and conditions. 

Misuse of the Amniocentesis test

Amniocentesis is a test that is used for the sex determination of the developing foetus. This test is done by injecting a needle inside the abdomen into the uterus and then into the amniotic cavity. A sample of amniotic fluid is taken surrounding the foetus, and the chromosomal content is examined. This sample is examined properly in order to know any chromosomal disorder. Some misuses this test in order to determine the sex of the child. If the developing foetus is a female, couples can ask for a medical abortion. Thus, to stop this crime of female foeticide, this test is legally banned now.

Thus, restrictions and rules help in controlling the illegal MTPs and female foeticides.  Counseling and general awareness about the equality of gender should be spread in order to reduce these illegal practices.

Conditions for Medical Termination of Pregnancy

Legally, women can go for abortion or MTP only under certain following conditions:
1. To avoid unwanted pregnancies that took place by unsafe intercourse or rapes, or contraceptives failure.
2. To terminate a pregnancy when it is fatal to the mother or to the child.

Who should not go for Medical Abortion?

Women should not go for a medical abortion if they are suffering from one of the following  related problems:  
1. If the period of pregnancy exceeds more than 9 weeks then medical abortion should be avoided as there are chances for incomplete medical abortion and additional surgical methods need to be performed in order to evacuate the foetus completely from the uterus.
2. If a woman is suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, then a surgical procedure is done to abort it.
3. If women are suffering from anaemia, bleeding disorders, or having heart disorders, then medical termination of pregnancy is avoided.
4. If she is suffering from an uncontrolled seizure disorder or is allergic to the medicines involved in medical termination of pregnancy.

How is Medical Termination of Pregnancy done?

1. Medical termination of pregnancy is usually done by experienced professionals because even though it is a minor process, but chances of risk are more.
2. Initially, the pregnancy test is done, which confirms the period of pregnancy going on,  so that procedure can be planned accordingly.  
3. An ultrasound test confirms the age of the pregnancy. It also checks whether it is a  tumour or not that gets developed in the uterus (molar pregnancy).  
4. Other tests are also performed to check for anaemia, or any sexually transmitted diseases and other health conditions.
5. If the MTP has to be done by the non-surgical process, then doctors normally recommend a pill known as Mifepristone (Mifeprex). This pill can be given either by injection or by orally.  
6. Antibiotics are also given along with the medicine in order to prevent infection.

The Action of Mifepristone

1. Mifepristone obstructs the progesterone hormone in the body. This, in turn, results in the shortage of its level inside the body.  
2. Progesterone hormone is responsible for maintaining pregnancy in women.
3. A decrease in the level of progesterone results in the breaking of the endometrial lining of the uterus and thus prevents the pregnancy from growing further.
4. Moreover, this results in contractions in the uterus. This causes the foetus to move out of the body via menstruation.
5. This process may take a few hours or few days.
6. After few days, a medical examination is done in order to confirm whether the pregnancy is terminated successfully or not.

Fig: A Process of Medical Termination of Pregnancy

Surgical Methods

The surgical method involves surgical removal of the foetus. It involves two types of  methods mainly:
1. Vacuum aspiration removes the foetus by suction method.
2. The dilation and evacuation method involves dilation of the cervix and removal of the foetus under general anaesthesia.

Return to Health after Medical Termination of Pregnancy

1. Medical termination of pregnancy is a lengthy process as compared to surgical abortion. It depends upon person to person and also on the age of the pregnancy. The person may experience heavy bleeding, back pain with cramps, fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, etc.  It may sometimes take like few weeks or a month to return things to normal daily activity.  The patient should regularly visit the doctor in order to ensure that the healing process is going on properly and to confirm that the pregnancy is aborted successfully.

Benefits of Medical Termination of Pregnancy

1. Women get rid of unwanted pregnancies through medicine.
2. It is an effective and safe method for early pregnancies.
3. It is a non-invasive process.
4. Invasive surgeries are avoided unless the procedure gets failed.

Harmful Effects of Medical Termination of Pregnancy

1. Excessive bleeding usually occurs in medical abortion because the foetus has grown to a  certain limit, and this excessive bleeding may lead to anaemia.
2. Nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills are common signs which a woman faces after medical termination of pregnancy.
3. Infection, inflammatory disorders, or cuts in the cervix area may occur after medical termination of pregnancy.
4. A surgical procedure is also needed in some cases to terminate the pregnancy if medicine could not evacuate the foetus completely.
5. The failure rate is higher in medically terminated pregnancy as compared with than of surgical abortion.

Summary

MTP or medical termination of pregnancy is a legal process of abortion in cases of unwanted pregnancy. This process is taken into consideration only at an early stage of pregnancy,  which is usually less than 9 weeks. It is a lengthy process as it involves the usage of certain medications, which lead to the termination of pregnancy. This process has its pros and cons; for example, patients can get rid of unwanted pregnancy, or there is any danger to mother or child, but on the other hand, this procedure has side effects like a patient may suffer from anaemia, infection, or any inflammatory disorder.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on medical termination of pregnancy

Q.1. Define pregnancy.
Ans: Pregnancy or gestation is the term given to the time period taken by the foetus to develop inside the mother’s womb or uterus.

Q.2. Define MTP.
Ans: MTP is medical termination of pregnancy. It is a process that involves the termination of the pregnancy with the usage of certain medications such as mifepristone.

Q.3. Under which circumstances is MTP advised?
Ans: MTP is advised when the pregnancy period is usually less than the first trimester as it is the safer period to get rid of unwanted pregnancy.

Q.4. What are the complications related to MTP?
Ans: Certain complications associated with MTP are:
1. Excessive bleeding
2. Infection and inflammation of the pelvic area
3. Cervix gets tor
4. Blood clot formation in the uterus.

Q.5. What are the advantages of MTP?
Ans: Advantages of MTP are:
1. To get rid of unwanted pregnancies.
2. It is a non-invasive and cheap procedure.
3. It is a safer method to terminate a pregnancy.

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We hope this article on Medical Termination of Pregnancy helps you in your preparation. Do drop in your queries in the comments section if you get stuck and we will get back to you at the earliest.