The coat hanger abortion method involves a woman taking a metal coat hanger and unwinding it, leaving a sharp end protruding. The sharp end is then inserted into the vagina, with the aim of reaching the uterus through the cervix. The aim is to move the coat hanger around to physically disrupt the implanted embryo. The use of a rusty coat hanger is thought to increase the chances of success, as the body reacts negatively to iron oxide particles, triggering a miscarriage.
This method is extremely dangerous and can lead to uterine perforation, which can result in severe bleeding and infection. The coat hanger may also miss the cervix and puncture the top of the vagina or the uterine arteries. The procedure can be life-threatening, and even if it does not result in death, it can cause permanent damage to the uterus and bowel.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Sterility | The coat hanger is not sterile and is often unclean |
Sharpness | The end of the coat hanger is sharp, not tapered |
Cervix | The coat hanger must be inserted through the small opening in the cervix |
Uterus | The coat hanger is narrow enough to get through the cervix, but it can easily perforate the uterine wall |
Miscarriage | The theory is that the coat hanger causes an infection, which leads to a miscarriage |
Dilation | The cervix must be dilated to allow the coat hanger to pass through |
What You'll Learn
- The coat hanger is inserted blindly into the vagina, with the aim of reaching the uterus
- The coat hanger is unbent and the sharp edges removed
- The coat hanger is inserted through the cervix and moved around to disrupt the embryo
- The coat hanger can cause infection, sterility, haemorrhage, and even death
- The coat hanger may not induce an abortion, but can introduce infection
The coat hanger is inserted blindly into the vagina, with the aim of reaching the uterus
The coat hanger, unsterilised and unclean, is inserted blindly into the vagina, with the aim of reaching the uterus. The sharp end of the hanger is navigated through the small opening of the cervix, called the os. The hanger is then moved around in the hopes of disrupting the implanted embryo. The introduction of a foreign object like a coat hanger can cause an infection, which can also lead to an abortion.
The uterus is soft and easily perforated, and the uterine arteries are located on the side walls of the uterus. If the coat hanger pierces the uterine walls, the woman could bleed to death before receiving appropriate medical care. Puncturing the bowel is another risk, which could be fatal within three days if left untreated.
Even if the coat hanger is inserted and removed without puncturing anything, the bacteria from the septic abortion can spread, and the woman's condition will deteriorate with each hour that passes without treatment.
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The coat hanger is unbent and the sharp edges removed
To perform an abortion with a coat hanger, the coat hanger must first be unbent, leaving one of the wires with a sharp end sticking out. This sharp end is then inserted into the uterus through the cervix. The sharp end is then moved around in the hopes of causing an abortion by physically disrupting the implanted embryo.
The coat hanger may also miss the cervix altogether and puncture the top of the vagina or the uterine arteries. The use of a coat hanger for abortion is extremely risky and can lead to serious complications or even death. It is important to note that any instrument inserted through the cervix requires visualization and knowledge of the correct amount of force to avoid causing harm.
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The coat hanger is inserted through the cervix and moved around to disrupt the embryo
To perform an abortion using a coat hanger, the coat hanger must first be unbent and any sharp edges must be removed. The coat hanger is then inserted into the uterus through the cervix. The cervix is a sphincter muscle separating the vagina and the uterus. It has a small opening at each end, and a small canal running through it that is normally tightly shut. The coat hanger is thin enough to fit through the cervical canal, but it is sharp, not tapered, so it can lacerate and perforate.
Once the coat hanger is inside the uterus, it is moved around to physically disrupt the implanted embryo. The goal is to kill the embryo and induce an abortion. However, this method is extremely dangerous and can have severe complications. If the coat hanger punctures the walls of the uterus, it can lacerate a uterine artery, causing severe bleeding that can lead to death if not treated promptly. Perforating the uterus can also damage the bowel, which can be fatal within a few days if left untreated.
Even if the coat hanger is inserted without puncturing any organs, it is unlikely to immediately induce an abortion. Instead, it introduces an infection that can lead to severe health complications and death if left untreated. Additionally, the coat hanger may miss the cervix altogether and puncture the top of the vagina or the uterine arteries.
Using a coat hanger for abortion is a highly risky and unsafe method that can result in serious injury or death. It is not a recommended or effective way to terminate a pregnancy.
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The coat hanger can cause infection, sterility, haemorrhage, and even death
Abortion with a coat hanger is a dangerous and desperate measure that can cause severe harm to the pregnant woman. The coat hanger can cause infection, sterility, haemorrhage, and even death.
Infection, or sepsis, is a life-threatening complication of unsafe abortions. It occurs when bacteria enter the uterus through a wound or tear caused by the coat hanger. Sepsis is the primary cause of death from unsafe abortions, with approximately 68,000 women dying annually worldwide due to these complications. Infections from septic abortion are usually polymicrobial and include dangerous bacteria such as streptococcus, bacteroides, Escherichia coli, and sexually transmitted pathogens.
Sterility can occur as a result of uterine perforation or damage to the reproductive organs. The insertion of a rigid, sharp object like a coat hanger increases the risk of perforating the uterus, which can lead to severe bleeding and damage to the uterus and surrounding organs. This damage can result in sterility or the need for a hysterectomy, as in the case of a 24-year-old woman who attempted a self-induced abortion with a coat hanger and subsequently required a total abdominal hysterectomy.
Haemorrhage, or severe bleeding, is a common complication of coat hanger abortions. The uterus is highly vascular, and perforation or trauma to the uterus can result in life-threatening bleeding. This was the case for Anna Yocca, who tried to end her pregnancy with a wire hanger and suffered uncontrollable bleeding, leading to her hospitalisation.
In addition to the risk of infection, sterility, and haemorrhage, coat hanger abortions can also result in death. Before abortion was legalised, thousands of women died from unsafe abortion attempts, with the coat hanger being a commonly used method. Even today, despite the rarity of unsafe abortions in developed countries, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 25 million abortions are performed unsafely each year, resulting in the deaths of many women.
The dangers of coat hanger abortions highlight the importance of safe and legal access to abortion services. While abortion with a coat hanger may be a symbol of a darker era, it is important to recognise that it still occurs in places with restrictive abortion laws, putting women's lives at risk.
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The coat hanger may not induce an abortion, but can introduce infection
The coat hanger is not sterile, and it is not clean. The procedure is extremely dangerous, and even if a woman is lucky enough to get the coat hanger through her cervix without puncturing something, the coat hanger is still just a vector for introducing infection.
The coat hanger is likely to be inserted blindly, and the uterus can be easily perforated with the wrong instrument or unskilled hands. The uterine wall is soft, and if perforated on one of the sides, there is a high risk of lacerating a uterine artery. If this happens, a woman could bleed to death before she gets appropriate medical care. The arteries in this area pump a lot of blood.
If the coat hanger misses the cervix altogether, it could puncture the top of the vagina or the uterine arteries from this angle, again devastating the bowel.
Even if the coat hanger is inserted correctly, it is unlikely to induce an abortion immediately. In this scenario, the woman will cramp, and if she is fortunate, her uterus will contract, and she will pass the tissue at home. However, the bacteria from septic abortions often disseminate, and each hour the condition remains untreated, death becomes more likely.
Infection is a very real risk of attempting to induce abortion with a coat hanger, and it can be deadly.
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Frequently asked questions
The coat hanger is unwound and inserted into the uterus through the cervix. It is then moved around in an attempt to physically disrupt the implanted embryo.
The coat hanger may puncture the uterus, leading to severe bleeding and potential death. The procedure may also introduce an infection, which can be fatal if left untreated.
Coat hanger abortions are typically used when access to safe and legal abortion is restricted or unavailable.
Yes, there are other methods of self-induced abortion, such as ingesting herbs or medications, although many of these methods can also be dangerous and ineffective.