A study in the Lancet of 1182 legal abortions found that 9.5% of their patients require blood transfusions, 4.2% with cervical lacerations and in 1.2% the uterus was perforated. one researcher commented:
“The incidence of the complications described and the severity of some of them are disquieting. Some may claim that termination of pregnancy is much safer in their hands. If so, they are to be congratulated. The present figures represent the combined experience of five consultants and a series of experienced lecturers, senior registrars, and registrars. It is perhaps significant that some of the more serious complications occurred with the most senior and experienced operators. This emphasizes that termination of pregnancy is neither as simple nor as safe as some advocates of abortion on demand would have the public believe… It is disquieting that post-abortive infection, which is one of the most common causes of death after criminal abortion, should have occurred in 27% of this series. Septicemia, peritonitis, and paralytic ileus are potentially fatal complications and the risk of death increases if they occur after the patient is discharged from the hospital and there was a delay in diagnosis.… The fact remains that none of these situations may be the result of negligence. They are complications which, though well known to, and well-documented by, those with wide experience of an operation which is neither simple nor safe, are seldom mentioned by those who claim that abortion is safe and merely an extension of contraceptive techniques.”
Thomas W Hilgers “the Medical Hazards of Legally Induced Abortion” from Abortion and Social Justice edited by Thomas W Hilgers and Dennis J Horan (Kansas City, Missouri: Sheed & Ward, 1972)
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