Every pregnant woman wants her baby to come out healthy and in great shape. This is possible when factors like substance abuse are not in the picture. Taking substances like drugs or alcohol frequently can be fatal to fetal development.

These substances can cause an effect on the child that will last through their lifetime. In some cases, the substance use might not affect the woman, but it will always affect the unborn child.

For instance, if a woman who takes crack cocaine, does so during her pregnancy, she is likely to birth a baby with unique mental and physical health problems.

Let’s take a look at some of the possible effects of substance abuse on pregnant women and their fetus

Abnormal functioning of the placenta

The placenta plays a pivotal role in the woman’s body. It supplies the unborn baby with oxygen and food that is crucial to their growth and development.

If a pregnant woman is hooked on drugs and alcohol, it might affect the normal functioning of the placenta. The flow of food and oxygen might be disrupted and it can lead to the fetus’ death in the long run.

Low birthweight

Alcohol and drugs limit the flow of nutrients from the mother to the unborn child. Hence, the fetus will receive a lower volume of nutrients that might not be sufficient for its growth. This can make them underweight when they are born.

Birth defects

If a baby is born with defects, it most likely means that the process leading to their birth was unhealthy. Drugs and alcohol can affect a baby’s health, making them develop defects that affect how their hearts, brains, or bodies work.

Premature birth

Substance abuse can make the baby arrive earlier than expected which might not be good for them. Not all babies can survive premature birth

Pregnant women who abuse substances need to be given special attention by their healthcare providers. This is to help them deal with their abuse problem so that it does not affect their unborn child.

When women have an abortion unexpectedly, it can be one of the most painful things they will experience. This is not the physical pain associated with the abortion, it is the emotional experience that comes with it.

The pain that women experience when they have to lose a baby they were expecting can be unimaginable. This is why many of them find it hard to cope when it happens.

Some of them begin to rely on substances like drugs and alcohol so that they can cope with the pain.

One of the reasons why people rely on drugs or alcohol is because they want their minds to heal. This might look like it’s working in the short term.

However, in the long run, the effects of these substances begin to wear out, and the woman will most likely need more substances. If care is not taken, they can become addicted in the process.

When a woman is addicted, it becomes unsafe for her to deliver a healthy child because of the influence of those substances. Addiction can negatively affect the womb, making it unsafe for the woman to raise a child.

Women who have an abortion need all the help they can get so that they don’t rely on substances instead. It is recommended that they see a mental health counselor or a therapist who will help them navigate such difficult periods.

Abortion, both induced and natural, can be traumatic. This means that the woman is likely to be haunted even after a long time.

On the other hand, women who want to intentionally have an abortion need to be sure they are doing it for the right reason and purpose.

This is why Abortion clinics and healthcare providers need to screen their patients for different factors like an addiction.

If a patient is addicted, the decision to go for an abortion might not have been made under the right frame of mind. Hence, they should be taught to realize that there are other options and should be motivated to get help for their addiction.

Not everyone wants to be pregnant. For women who do not want to be, it is due to their unpreparedness at that period. For people who are sexually active and do not want a child yet, it is imperative that they are aware of the options that exist for birth control.

There are a good number of contraception available to keep pregnancy at bay. However, the best method to prevent pregnancy is to stay away from sex.  

Below are some preventative measures that helps to prevent pregnancy

1. Know your contraceptive options: If you do not know your contraceptive options, it is important to go on birth control. There are a good number of options to select from, both hormonal and nonhormonal ones.

There are daily combination pills that you can take, alongside with daily minipills, skin patches, vaginal rings and intrauterine devices (IUDs)

• Use your birth control precisely: Each day you are not on birth control, the chances of becoming pregnant increases. So, it is important to stick to the medication schedule and take the pill at the exact time frame every day.

By all means possible, do not miss doses and as soon as you remember, take the pill immediately.

• Use barrier protection: In preventing pregnancy birth control is very effective. However, it does not prevent you from contracting sexually transmitted infections. So, it is essential to use barrier protection like condoms, because they provide a safe medium for hormonal birth control and STIs prevention.

• Track your fertility and avoid sex when ovulating: When you are ovulating, it is possible for you to track your fertility and avoid sex. There are some applications you can use for this purpose. This method is very proficient if you know how your body works. It is a good complement to other preventative measures.

If you want something in the long term, you can decide to opt for long-term birth control options. Some of them can last for three-ten years. And if you want something permanent, then you can opt for sterilization. For men, the sperm would be prevented from releasing and for women, the fallopian tubes will be blocked, preventing the eggs from traveling to the uterus.

Abortion is the process of terminating a pregnancy. People sometimes mix up the concepts of abortions and miscarriages.

A miscarriage is always unintentional. In this case, a woman might lose her pregnancy because of strenuous activities or due to some complications that come with pregnancy, as a result of health issues.

For abortion, it is always intentional. It could be that the individual is not ready for a child at that period. So, what some of them resort to, is abortion.

There are various dangers associated with abortion and having a look at the following points will inform you more:  

1. Health problems: A woman who commits abortion is at a high risk. The reason for this is, anything could go wrong. In the phase of abortion, any of the organs could become dysfunctional and in the process, affect the others.

One of the worse unimaginable scenarios possible, is for the woman to lose her womb which means she cannot go through the process of conception and child-birth again.

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• Flouting the laws: In most countries, abortion is a crime. And if a woman is found to commit abortion, disciplinary measures might be spelt out to her. It is wrong to deny an unborn child the right to live, because they are not wanted at that time. It is best to avoid getting pregnant if the means are possible.

• Damaged relationships: People do not entirely buy the idea of aborting a child. So, if they learn what you did, their first line of action is to give you distance. Someone who aborts a child would most likely lose friends and acquaintances. There is a stigma that comes with addiction that no one wants to be associated with.

• Death: In some unfortunate cases, the woman might lose her life in the process. As mentioned above, there are tendencies for complications to take place when the abortion is in motion. In other cases, the woman might lose her life after a period of time.

Conventionally, to abort means to put to end, the process of a pregnancy, by removing the embryo or foetus. This is usually done before the foetus has the capacity to survive outside the uterus. When abortion happens without any external action, it is referred to as a miscarriage, and when it is done intentionally, it is referred to as induced abortion.

Now, there are various reasons why ladies have abortion, and most times, they are usually specific to them. However, the reasons listed here are quite common among ladies.

For those who are schooling, having a child would mean that their education has been affected. Hence, they would have an abortion in order to prevent that.

When it comes to those who are yet to commence schooling, when they discover that they are pregnant, what it means it, they would be unable to go to school, because they would need to take care of their child. Hence, they would make all efforts to remove it.

There are some married ladies who are of the opinion that having a child at the early stage of their marriage would affect their job. Hence, if they get pregnant mistakenly, they would make all efforts to ensure that the foetus leaves, so that they can focus fully on their job.

Even for some of those who have children, they can have an abortion because they believe that they would not be able to cater for the additional child. Hence, whenever they discover that they are pregnant, they ensure that it is removed instantly.

There are some cases when ladies get raped, and due to the shame, they take to having an abortion. This usually occurs when they do not know who the father is, or most times if the father is someone close, like a relative.

There are other ladies who are promiscuous, and they cannot afford to get pregnant because it would affect them, and prevent them from making money. Hence, once they discover that they are pregnant, they ensure that they remove the pregnancy immediately.

It is advised that ladies reduce the rate at which they have an abortion, as it has an adverse effect on their womb in the long run.

Basically, abortion can be defined as the process whereby a pregnancy is terminated by removing the foetus, before it gains the capacity to survive in the exteriors of the uterus. Abortion which occurs in the absence of intervention, is known as a miscarriage. Also, when there are intentional steps taken to end a pregnancy, it is known as induced abortion, it is also called induced miscarriage sometimes.

Below are reasons why you should not think of having an abortion:

• It adds to tragedy: It is understandable that most times, the circumstances which surrounds a pregnancy are unpalatable. Hence, the woman in question would want to remove the baby due to the fact that the thought of it induces shame and pain. It should be known that it is not a good idea to end the life of an unborn baby simply because you want to end pain.

Visiting a counsellor is better in this case.

• It is against civil rights: In many countries, having an abortion is a violation of civil rights, and it is punishable depending on the rules of the country. Children who are yet to be born, should not be denied their right to live their own life irrespective of the instances surrounding their birth.

• It can cause harm to women: Women who undergo abortion, are putting their lives at risk. This is because there are health demerits which are attached to this. Asides the fact that they could be affected health-wise, they could also face mental, relational and emotional problems. Sometimes, women die on the spot after having an abortion.

• It damages relationships: Committing an abortion makes people to think less of you. With time, you would discover that you would lose many friends, as they would want to keep their distance from you. When it gets to this stage, you would realise that you have lost both your relationships, and a life- The unborn child.

• It does not go away: After having an abortion, the thought and the experience never goes away. It is something which would remain with you for the rest of your life. It is a stigma which sticks and does not live.