INDEPENDENT (UK) – Women on Web, which provides abortions worldwide, saw the number of visitors to its site radically plummet after Google changed the way its algorithm worked.
The abortion provider, which links women up with doctors who can distribute abortion pills in countries where pregnancy terminations are illegal, saw 80 per cent of its website visitors disappear overnight in May 2020 when Google changed the way its search tool worked.
Women on Web told The Independent the organisation has failed to restore most of its visitors since then; in December last year, it only had 30 per cent of inquiries to the site that it had in early 2020.
Venny Ala-Siurua, executive director of Women on Web, said: “We had 50,000 visitors a day and then we had 10,000 visitors a day in May last year.
Google rolls out regular updates to its algorithm in an attempt to provide more relevant content to people typing into search queries.
But, Ms Ala-Siurua said: “That May update was targeting misinformation around health driven by the pandemic but that update also decided the content we were providing was no longer speaking to the search queries of people needing abortions.
Ms Ala-Siurua raised concerns that the group’s abortion services have been impacted at the same time that demand for abortion via online services has surged during the pandemic.
She noted a surge in women accessing their abortion services when the Covid crisis hit, followed by a sharp drop after the Google algorithm change, as she said the group is forced to “continuously consider” how the tech chain will impact its service provision.
Women on Web gets thousands of emails and help requests each month and its multilingual support service delivers confidential help for people with unwanted pregnancies.
The service has given over 100,000 people access to abortion via post as well as responding to over a million emails in 25 different languages in the past 15 years, Ms. Ala-Siurua said.
“When our website got demoted, the services that replaced us in the top of the Google search were big established, formal governmental services,” Ms Ala-Siurua added. “We are all accessing more information online since the pandemic, but tech gatekeepers are making the internet less open … ” Click here to read more.
Specific Abortion Procedures and Possible Side Effects
COLORADO SPRINGS PREGNANCY CENTER – The side effects of abortion vary, depending on the type of abortion procedure that is done. Here are several types of abortions along with the risks involved:
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- Medical Abortion: The woman is given medicine without having to undergo surgery. It generally requires 3 visits to the clinic. The FDA allows this type of abortion procedure up to 49 days after the last menstrual period. Mifepristone (RU 486) is often given as the medicine and causes the mother to pass clots, tissue, and the unborn child. It is important to go to each of the follow-up appointments.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: bleeding for 3 weeks or more, swelling of lips or face, cramping, pain, vomiting, chills, dizziness, fatigue, infection, back pain, and other complications. Side effects to the baby include starvation and death. Long term effects are still being studied.
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- Suction Aspiration or “curettage”: This procedure is done in the first trimester. The doctor dilates the cervix and suctions out the baby. The uterine walls may be scraped to be sure everything is completely removed-amniotic fluid, placental tissue, and fetal parts.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: cramping, pelvic pain, uterine damage, injury to the bowel, bladder, or cervix, heavy bleeding, or more serious complications. If the baby is not completely removed, infection can easily develop, which is the most common post-abortion complication. Side effect to the baby is death.
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- Dilation and Curettage (D&C): This is also done in the first trimester. The cervix is dilated and a loop-shaped knife is used to cut up and remove the baby. The uterine wall is scraped to remove the fluid, placental tissue, and fetal parts.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: cramping, pelvic pain, uterine damage, injury to the bowel, bladder, or cervix, heavy bleeding, or more serious complications. Blood loss, damage to the uterus, and infection are the most common side effects. Side effect to the baby is death.
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- Dilation and Evacuation (D&E): Within 24 weeks of pregnancy, the doctor will dilate the cervix and scrape the uterus to remove the baby and placenta. If the procedure is done after 16 weeks, the baby is removed using forceps.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: damage to the uterus, cervix, bowel, or bladder, infection, or other serious conditions. Others surgeries may be necessary if the baby is not removed completely or if complications occur. Side effects to the baby include death.
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- Medical Induction: This procedure, used after 16 weeks, uses medicines to start labor. It can take several hours to several days for labor to complete. The uterus is sometimes scraped to be sure everything is removed.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: vomiting, diarrhea, fever, infection, heavy bleeding, and other more serious risks. If a baby is born alive, the doctor may be obligated to care for the child. Other surgeries may be necessary if complications occur. Side effects to the baby include death.
- Dilation and Extraction (D&X): This procedure is done between 20 and 32 weeks. The cervix is dialated and the doctor clamps the baby’s foot with an instrument, pulling out the child except for the head. Then scissors are used to make a hole in the back of the baby’s head, a tube inserted, and the contents are suctioned out. The head collapses and the baby is born dead.Side effects of this abortion procedure include: damage to the uterus, bowel, bladder, or cervix, heavy bleeding, or other serious conditions that may require an additional surgery. There also may be an inability to get pregnant in the future due to complications. Side effects to the baby include death.
All abortion procedures have risks and you are entitled to understand the risks and side effects. Also, you are always entitled to change your mind. If you have questions about these procedures or want to discuss your options, contact our office for a personalized consultation. Source.
