My name is Dr. Anthony Levatino. I’m a practicing Obstetrician-Gynecologist
and I’ve performed over 1,200 abortions. First, I’m going to describe a 1st Trimester
Medical Abortion. This is a procedure in which the mother swallows
pills in order to terminate her baby, and it is performed up to the 9th week of pregnancy. The procedure involves two steps. Step One. At the abortion clinic or doctor’s office,
the woman takes pills which contain Mifepristone, also called RU-486. RU-486 blocks the action
of a hormone called Progesterone. Progesterone is naturally produced in the
mother’s body to stabilize the lining of the uterus. When RU-486 blocks Progesterone, the lining
of the mother’s uterus breaks down, cutting off blood and nourishment to the baby, who
then dies inside the mother’s womb. It is important to note that even after it
has been taken, it is possible to reverse the effects of RU-486 and save the baby, if
Progesterone is administered. The sooner, the better. Step Two. 24-48 hours after taking RU-486, the woman
takes Misoprostol, also called Cytotec, that is administered either orally or vaginally. RU-486 and Misoprostol together cause severe
cramping, contractions, and often heavy bleeding, to force the dead baby out of the woman’s
uterus. The process can be very intense and painful,
and the bleeding and contractions can last from a few hours to several days. While she could lose her baby anytime and
anywhere during this process, the woman will often sit on a toilet as she prepares to expel
the child, which she will then flush. She may even see her dead baby within the
pregnancy sac. At 9 weeks for example, the baby will be almost
an inch long, and if she looks carefully, she might be able to count the fingers and
toes. After she has disposed of her baby, the woman
may have bleeding and spotting for several weeks. Bleeding lasts, on average, 9-16 days. 8% of women bleed more than 30 days, and 1%
require hospitalization because of heavy bleeding. RU-486 is only FDA approved for the first
7 weeks of pregnancy. While RU-486 can be used off-label up to nine
weeks, the failure rate increases as the pregnancy progresses. At 7 weeks, it has a 5% failure rate. At 8 weeks, an 8% failure rate, and at 9 weeks,
a 10% failure rate. If failure occurs, she will usually be offered
a surgical abortion. For the mother, medical abortion often causes
abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and heavy bleeding. Maternal deaths have occurred, most frequently
due to infection and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy. 1st Trimester Surgical Abortion, called Suction
D & C, Dilatation and Curettage. This is the most frequently performed abortion, and is used typically from 5 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. After administering anesthesia, the abortionist
uses a speculum, like this. This is placed inside the vagina, and opened using this screw on the side, allowing the abortionist to see the cervix, the entrance to the uterus. The cervix acts as a gate that stays closed
for the duration of pregnancy, protecting the baby until it is ready for birth. The abortionist uses a series of metal rods
called dilators, like these, which increase in thickness, and inserts them into the cervix
to dilate it, gaining access to the inside of the uterus where the baby resides. The baby has a heartbeat, fingers, toes, arms,
and legs, but its bones are still weak and fragile. The abortionist takes a suction catheter,
like this one. This is a 14 French Suction Catheter. It’s
clear plastic, about 9 inches long, and it has a hole through the center. It is inserted through the cervix, into the
uterus. The suction machine is then turned on, with
a force 10-20 times more powerful than your household vacuum cleaner. The baby is rapidly torn apart by the force
of the suction, and squeezed through this tubing down into the suction machine, followed
by the placenta. Though the uterus is mostly emptied at this
point, one of the risks of a Suction D & C is incomplete abortion, essentially pieces
of the baby or placenta left behind. This can lead to infection or bleeding. In an attempt to prevent this, the abortionist
uses a curette to scrape the lining of the uterus. A curette is basically a long-handled curved
blade. Once the uterus is empty, the speculum is
removed and the abortion is complete. The risks of Suction D & C include perforation
or laceration of the uterus or cervix, potentially damaging intestine, bladder, and nearby blood
vessels, hemorrhage, infection, and in rare instances, even death. Future pregnancies are also at a greater risk
for loss or premature delivery due to abortion-related trauma and injury to the cervix. 2nd Trimester Surgical Abortion, called Dilatation
and Evacuation, or D & E. A D & E is performed between 13 and 24 weeks
of pregnancy. After administering anesthesia, the abortionist
uses a weighted speculum, like this one, that opens the vagina widely. Because 2nd trimester babies are so large,
this greater access facilitates a late term abortion. Late term abortion requires that the cervix
be prepared 24-48 hours in advance with laminaria. Laminaria is a type of sterilized seaweed
that absorbs water over 8-12 hours and swells to several times its original diameter. Once removed, metal dilators can be used to
further open the cervix as needed. Once the cervix has been stretched open, the
suction tube is placed inside. A baby at 20 weeks gestation is as big as
the length of my hand, from head to rump, not counting the legs. The suction machine is turned on, and pale
yellow amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is suctioned out through the catheters. But babies this big, they don’t fit through
catheters this size. The baby’s bones and skull are too strong
to be torn apart by suction alone. This is a Sopher clamp. A Sopher clamp is made of stainless steel,
it’s about 13 inches long. The business end is about 2 1/2 inches long
a 1/2-inch wide, and there are rows of sharp teeth. This is a grasping instrument and when it
gets a hold of something, it does not let go. The abortionist uses this clamp to grasp an
arm or a leg. Once he has a firm grip, the abortionist pulls
hard, in order to tear the limb from the baby’s body. One by one, the rest of the limbs are removed,
along with the intestines, the spine, and the heart and lungs. Usually the most difficult part of the procedure
is extracting the baby’s head, which is about the size of a large plum at 20 weeks. The head is grasped and crushed. The abortionist
knows he has crushed the skull when a white substance comes out of the cervix. This was the baby’s brains. The abortionist
then removes skull pieces. He removes the placenta and any left over
parts of the baby with a curette, scraping the lining of the uterus for any remaining
tissue. The abortionist then collects the baby parts
and reassembles them to make sure that there are two arms, two legs, and all the pieces. Once all of the parts have been accounted
for, the abortion is complete. For the woman, this procedure carries a significant
risk of major complications, including perforation or laceration of the uterus or cervix, with
possible damage to the bowel, bladder, and other maternal organs. Infection and hemorrhage can also occur, which
can even lead to death. Future pregnancies are also at a greater risk
for loss or premature delivery due to abortion-related trauma and injury to the cervix. Finally, I’m going to describe a 3rd Trimester
Induced Abortion, which is performed at 25 weeks to term. At this point, the baby is almost fully developed
and viable, meaning he or she could survive outside the womb if the mother were to go
into labor prematurely. Because the baby is so large and developed,
this procedure takes 3 or 4 days to complete. On Day 1, the Abortionist uses a large needle
to inject a drug called Digoxin. Digoxin is generally used to treat heart problems, but a high enough dosage of Digoxin will cause fatal cardiac arrest. The abortionist inserts the needle with the
Digoxin through the woman’s abdomen or through her vagina and into the baby, targeting either
the head, torso, or heart. The baby will feel it, babies at this stage
feel pain. When the needle pierces the baby’s body,
and the Digoxin takes effect, the life of the baby will end. The abortionist then inserts multiple sticks
of seaweed called laminaria into the woman’s cervix. They will slowly open up the cervix for delivery
of a stillborn baby. While the woman waits for the laminaria to
dilate her cervix, she carries her dead baby inside of her for 2 to 3 days. On Day 2, the abortionist replaces the laminaria, and may perform a second ultrasound to ensure the baby is dead. If the child is still alive, he administers
another lethal dose of Digoxin. The woman then goes back to where she is staying
while her cervix continues to dilate. If she goes into labor, and is unable to make
it to the clinic in time, she will give birth at home or in a hotel. In this case, she may be advised to deliver
her baby into a bathroom toilet. The abortionist then comes to remove the baby
and clean up. If she can make it to the clinic, she will
do so during her severest contractions and deliver her dead son or daughter. If the baby does not come out whole, then
the procedure becomes a D & E, a dilation and evacuation, and the abortionist uses clamps and forceps to dismember the baby, piece by piece. Once the placenta and all of the body parts
have been removed, the abortion is complete. Late-term abortions have a high risk of hemorrhage,
lacerations, and uterine perforations, as well as a risk of maternal death. Future pregnancies are also at a greater risk
for loss or premature delivery due to abortion-related trauma and injury to the cervix. As I mentioned at the beginning, I’m Dr.
Anthony Levatino, and in the early part of my career as an OB/GYN I performed over 1,200
abortions. One day, after completing one of those abortions,
I looked at the remains of a preborn child whose life I had ended, and all I could see
was someone’s son or daughter. I came to realize that killing a baby at any
stage of pregnancy, for any reason, is wrong. I want you to know today, no matter where
you’re at or what you’ve done, you can change. Make a decision today to protect the preborn. Thank you for your time. I will no longer do any more abortions. When you finally figure out that killing a
baby that big for money is wrong, then it doesn’t take you too long to figure out
it doesn’t matter if the baby is this big, or this big, or this big, or maybe even this
big. It’s all the same. And I haven’t done any since then and I
never will.
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