Summary
- Marketed as “safe and efficacious,” despite the potential for dangerouscomplications
- Often used together with mifepristone and misoprostol (1) (See ourresearch on the dangers of the abortion pills) (2)
- Not formally approved by the FDA, but rather “grandfathered” into thesystem (3)
- Research on its use was most limited to the first trimester, but in developingcountries some MVA abortions are being carried out at 16 weeks or evenlater. (4)
- A product of the former Soviet Union developed for the stated purpose of“menstrual regulation” or “mini-abortion” (5)
- Earned the revolting nickname of the “lunch-hour abortion” in the 1970s (6)
- Health conglomerate Kaiser Permanente promotes the MVA as a “minormedical procedure”
What is it?
A manual vacuum aspiration is a procedure where a bicycle pump-like device ismanually pumped to empty a uterus of its contents.
A manual vacuum aspirator (MVA) consists of a large, plastic syringe with along tube, called the cannula, attached. The end of the cannula has small sideslits. The device does not require electricity. It is heavily promoted for use indeveloping countries around the world.
MVA abortions are sometimes preceded by the administration of misoprostol,either administered orally or vaginally, to prime the cervix for the abortion.
How Does It Work?
Misoprostol, pain medication, or local anesthesia may or may not be used.
The cervix is first treated with an antiseptic. A “no touch” method is attemptedfor the parts of any instrument that will enter the cervix. This means that partcannot touch the doctor’s hands, the patient’s skin, or the vaginal walls.
The cervix is manually dilated.
The cannula of the MVA is inserted through the cervix, into the uterus.
The body of the MVA is attached to the cannula and locked into place, then abutton is pressed to release the pump and begin suctioning.
The abortionist, who may not even be a medical practitioner, rotates the MVA,suctioning out the developing baby and placenta from the surrounding uterinetissue. In the first trimester, the baby’s body is very soft and fragile, making iteasier for the suction of the MVA to rip it apart and pull it piecemeal into theslits at the end of the cannula.
The abortionist continues suctioning until the patient starts experiencing painand cramping. Other signs of completion of evacuation are the presence offoam in the cannula or a gritty sensation during suction.
Afterward, the abortionist dumps the contents of the MVA into a bowl of wateror vinegar solution to ensure that all pieces of the baby have been taken out.
When Is It Used?
- To perform an abortion.
- After a failed (or incomplete) pill abortion.
- After a miscarriage.
Where Was It Created?
The use of MVA abortion is attributed to multiple figures in the 20th century, asthe concept was discovered independently in several countries. The earliestreported discovery was that of S. G. Bykov in the Soviet Union in 1927. At thattime, abortion had been legal in the USSR since 1920. It continued to be legaluntil 1933 and was made legal once again after a brief hiatus between 1933 and1936. It is not surprising that it was a Communist country that led the way onMVA abortions.FDA officials attribute the invention of the MVA and its first useto the Soviet Union. (7)
In 1958, two Chinese ob-gyn abortionists published a paper on the use of MVAsfor abortion. This method rapidly became popular in Communist China, and itwas claimed that it could be used up to 60 times on one woman. (8) They didnot invent the method, which they probably learned from their Soviet allies, butwere the first to produce an academic publication on the topic. Untranslated,their paper did not come to public notice outside of China until decades later.(9)
MVA abortions became common in communist countries years before the ideareached the West. One university professor noted, “The communist regime wasvery keen to reduce population, so both contraception and abortion were widelyused—there was considerable emphasis on women having an abortion.” (10)
The MVA used in the U.S. was developed by Harvey Karman. His contribution tothe abortion device consisted of adding a soft cannula on the end to reduce thechance of uterine perforation. Karman began performing abortions whileworking on his Ph.D. in psychology, which he never finished. He wasresponsible for severely injuring many women and for the death of at least one.He lied about his credentials, won favor with parts of the medical community,and spent decades performing experimental abortions on women. Karman, anunqualified “lay abortionist” himself, argued that an MVA was so simple that apregnant woman could have the procedure performed on her by a friend.
Potential Complications (11)
- Incomplete evacuation (the earlier the gestation of the baby, the more likelythis is to happen (12) )
- Uterine perforation
- Cervical laceration
- Pelvic Infection
- Hemorrhage
- Hematometra
- Vagal reaction
- Intrauterine adhesions (13)
MVA Abortions Today
Vacuum aspiration, both electric and manual, is used for about 97 percent offirst-trimester surgical-induced abortions in the United States. Canada, China,New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and other countries also usevacuum aspiration for most of their first-trimester surgical-induced abortions.In many developing countries, such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, MVA hasbeen used for several decades to perform early induced abortions, includingprocedures referred to as “menstrual regulation.” (14)
The lead promoter and producer of MVAs in the U.S. is the North Carolina-based IPAS, an offshoot of Planned Parenthood. (15) There are nine brands ofmanual uterine aspirators available worldwide, whose use depends on thesetting the aspirator will be used in. In the United States, the most popularMVA is the IPAS double-valve manual aspiration syringe. Several other USmanufacturers produce cannulae that fit this syringe. (16)
The Ipas MVA plus® is one of the three main MVAs that Ipas produces (alongwith the Ipas Double Valve Aspirator, and the Ipas Single Valve Aspirator). Ipasbrags that it has been marketed in 100 countries for 40 years.
The Ipas MVA plus® is also provided by the UNFPA, along with Ipas EasyGrip®cannulae in multiple sizes, around the world as part of one of its Inter-AgencyReproductive Health Kits for Crisis Situations. (17) The Ipas MVA plus®purportedly can be used 25 times when properly sanitized between uses. (18)However, in developing countries, MVAs are reportedly reused up to 34 timeson average, although this figure could be even higher in developing countrieswhere medical devices such as syringes are repeatedly used until they break.Abortion-providing health facilities are inconsistent in tracking MVA reuse.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo reported the lowest reuse of MVAs atone abortion per MVA, while abortion providers in India reported the highestreuse at 500 abortions with one MVA. This overuse of one device occurreddespite the fact that a majority of abortion providers recognize that they couldeasily replace equipment when needed. (19) More uses raise the chance ofspreading infection if the proper sanitation procedure is not performed betweenevery abortion.
IPAS itself states, “During use, the cylinder of the manual vacuum aspirator(MVA) fills with the patient’s blood. There is a potential risk that contaminantsfrom a previous patient could be introduced to a new patient if the MVA is notappropriately processed (sterilized or high-level disinfected) between eachuse.” (20)
It is especially risky if abortion providers in developing countries reuse certainkinds of aspirators since not all are built for sanitation and reuse. As mentionedabove, the Ipas MVA plus® is reusable, as is the Ipas Single Valve Aspirator (aslong as heat-free sanitation methods are used). The Ipas Double Valve Aspiratoris not designed for any reuse.
Ipas is very clear in stating, “The Ipas MVA Plus®, Ipas Single Valve Aspirator,and Ipas EasyGrip® cannulae are tested under rigorous conditions for reuse upto 25 times. No other MVA has been tested for reuse.” (21) However, asmentioned above, abortion providers do not stop at 25 times. They will continueto use an aspirator until it breaks, despite raising the risk of spreading infectionand harming women’s health.
Not only are MVA’s being pushed globally but there is a new push among thepro-abortion movement to use MVA’s in the United States as well, especially asvarious states and federal judges rule against the usage of the abortion pill. (22)One organization, the MYA Network, wants to bring “Manual Uterine Aspiration”to every state, even those where the practice of abortion is illegal. (23)
Another U.S.-based group, the Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP),has promoted classes on how to perform an MVA abortion for years. Thesebegan in 2005, (24) but since 2014 they have been offered to the generalpublic. The classes showcase the manual aspiration of a papaya as a uterinesubstitute. During one such class, the instructor said, after evacuating a papayaof its seeds, that, “It’s even more satisfying when it’s a real abortion. (25)
What Can You Do To Stop The Spread Of MVAs?
- Pray. We work as if everything depends on us, but know that any and allpro-life victories depend on God!
- Vote. Voting in pro-life legislatures can help get these anti-life programsdefunded both in the United States and abroad. Not only can we vote in theballot box, but also with our wallets. Try to avoid buying products fromcompanies that engage in abortion advocacy, both directly and throughcompany donations. Finally, try and support pro-life businesses wheneverpossible.
- Petition your legislatures to defund these programs. As we saw with USAIDin Africa, the U.S. government continues to sponsor abortion programsaround the world, especially in Africa. Neither we, nor the leaders in Africathemselves, want the anti-natal services these programs offer. (26) Thefunds for these programs could be better spent on pro-life, pro-family healthprograms.
Support our work. In the past, PRI has helped cut $800 million from thebudgets of anti-natalists at USAID and the UNFPA. With your support,whether financial or spiritual, we can continue to cut-off programs that pushmanual vacuum aspiration abortions from the source and advocate for abetter use of aid dollars. We support programs that address the actualhealth needs of impoverished communities, and that help to create aCulture of Life rather than a culture of death.
References:
- https://www.pop.org/could-this-low-tech-abortion-tool-found-in-the-developing-world-come-to-the-usnext/
- Obstetricians seek recognition for Chinese pioneers of safe abortion – PMC (nih.gov)
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2427078/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2427078/
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/18/abortion-reproductive-rights-manual-uterine-aspiration
- https://myanetwork.org/
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/18/abortion-reproductive-rights-manual-uterine-aspiration
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15812688/
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/3k334w/how-to-do-an-abortion-with-manual-vacuum-aspiration-papayaworkshop