In an article in Bella Online, abortionist Dr. Toub addresses those who advocate letting laypeople perform abortions. Some abortion advocates have said that laypeople should be trained to do abortions so that they can provide them if abortion ever becomes illegal. Toub explains why this is a bad idea, and reveals a little bit about the dangers of abortion.
Keep in mind as you are reading this that some pro-abortion advocates have fought to make states allow nonphysicians (such as nurses) to do abortions…
Abortion, particularly early suction curettage, gives the impression of not being a very difficult procedure. …However, impressions can be misleading. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, everything goes very smoothly. But it’s that one time that can be associated with complications, some of which are very serious, even deadly. Surgical abortion in and of itself is not that difficult to do, although there’s a bit of an art to it and is more challenging in the second trimester, particularly since it is essentially a “blind” procedure when ultrasound is not used, which is how it’s generally done. … I used to tell residents that anyone can teach a monkey how to operate; the real skill in surgery involves clinical judgment. The same is true of surgical abortion—it is feasible for nonclinicians to do it, but without question the risks are greater in terms of infection, incomplete abortion and uterine perforation, and even more importantly, it’s not clear to me how effectively those complications would be recognized and managed.
All of us who are well-trained to provide abortions and who have considerable clinical experience still have complications. About once a year, the average experienced abortion provider may perforate a uterus. Indeed, a pregnant uterus is much more easily perforated than a nonpregnant one. … if the best abortion providers still have occasional complications, nonclinicians who may provide such procedures on an infrequent basis will undoubtedly have a higher incidence of complications. …
Estimation of gestational age is critical. … even some skilled gynecologists have blown it, thinking they were dealing with an 8-week pregnancy when they really had a midtrimester pregnancy on their hands.
Tracey-Kay Caldwell. “Dr. Toub Discusses the Safety of at Home Abortions” Bella Online, 2013
