Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal of a fetus or embryo from the uterus, resulting death of the unborn child.. An abortion can occur without intent or warning due to complications during pregnancy or can be done through a surgery. An abortion done to protect the health of the gravida (pregnant female) is called a therapeutic abortion, while an abortion induced for any other reason such as not wanting the baby is called an elective abortion. The term abortion refers to the removal of the baby on purpose, while random or non-intentional abortions are usually called miscarriages.
Abortion has a low risk hurting the mother's health except for abortions performed unsafely, which result in 70,000 deaths and 5 million disabilities per year. Abortions are classified unsafe when the person performing the operation isn't trained properly or the surgery is performed in an unsanitary environment. An estimated 42 million abortions are performed annually with 20 million of those abortions done unsafely.About Forty percent of the women who get an abortion have access to a safe, clean facility and a well trained staff. Due to the lack of such places, the amount of deaths/injuries caused by abortion has sky-rocketed in the past decade.
Abortion has a long history and has been performed in a variety of ways. Contemporary medicine utilizes
medications and surgical procedures to induce abortion. The legal, cultural, and religious views on abortion vary substantially around the world. In many parts of the world there is public controversy over the ethical and legal issues of abortion. Abortion and abortion-related issues often involve politics more than anything else. Disapproval of abortion has declined worldwide, as access to family planning education and contraceptive services has increased.
Methods
Medical - Medical abortions are non-surgical abortions that use pharmaceutical drugs
Surgical - In the first 12 weeks, suction-aspiration or vacuum abortion is the most common method
All Methods can have both mental and physical impacts on the mother/family.
