tion method, or degree of cervical dilation. No increase in risk of preg- nancy loss was detected among women with a single prior induced abortion. We conclude that multiple induced abortions do increase the risk of subse- quent pregnancy losses up to 28 weeks' gestation."

I hope that doctors performing abortions are telling women the chance they are taking of losing future pregnancies.

According to "Making Choices,’ a 1983 publication of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 5,000 women annually suffer major complications as a result of abortion. The most frequent complications are hemorrhage, requiring blood transfusion, fever for three days or more, and "major unanticipated surgery." The rate of complications is lowest for abortions performed by vacuum aspiration, rises for abortions performed by D & E (dilation and evacuation), and increases still more for abortions induced by saline, prostaglandins, or urea. The rate is many times higher for abortion performed by hysterectomy or hysterotomy (cutting into the uterus). The largest proportion of abortion—related fatalities result from infections, thromboembolisms (both stable and traveling clots), amniotic fluid embolisms, hemorrhage, anesthesia and analgesia. Surpris- ingly, there is no difference in the rate of major complications and mortality resulting from abortions which are performed in a hospital and those performed in a non—hospital clinic.

It is midnight as I write you, and I'm crying as I have been each night for the past week. I'm having such terrible thoughts and dreams.

You see, a week ago I had an abortion. I am against abortion, and even the word sends chills up my spine.

I am 42 years old. I lost my first four babies; they were premature and did not survive. I gave birth to three more preemies, and they made it. Their ages are now 21, l9 and l2. I also have two grandchildren.

I had been taking the Pill for about 15 years with no discernible side effects. But a year ago I began to have unexplained chest pains.

My doctor immediately took me off the Pill and fitted me with a diaphragm. I had no blood clots or signs of heart disease, but I have had a chronic back and leg problem for several years involving the sciatic nerve and a pinched nerve in my upper back. I am in pain a lot, and my doctor wants to perform surgery. I also have had several infections during this past year, including pneumonia, pleurisy and bouts with the flu.

In February, I was hospitalized with severe back pain for 18 days, and I was to decide about surgery this summer. When I went home, I was

given a prescription for pain (Tylenol 4) and a muscle relaxer (Soma tabs).

It was then that I discovered I was more than two months pregnant.

Because of my health, my age and the drugs I had taken, my doctor almost insisted that I have an abortion. My family doctor, whom I have known for 2O years, agreed with my gynecologist, saying the pregnancy would destroy me physically. My husband and I had not planned any more children, but I know that if everything had been OK, he would have been pleased. But because of what the doctors said, my husband pressured me to have the abortion. After two weeks, I finally relented after con- stantly being told what terrible things drugs might do to the baby and the risks of pregnancy at my age.

Now it is over for them, but I'm just waking up. I can't talk to anyone. My husband works nights, and if I do mention it, he just says, “It's over——forget it.” Somehow I resent my doctor and feel I never want

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