Abortion

Abortion, ending of pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside the womb. It can occur spontaneously (miscarriage), or it can be artificially induced. Spontaneous abortion may occur as a result of maternal or fetal disease or faulty implantation in the womb. Abortion may be artificially induced by surgical or medical means, depending on the stage of pregnancy and the patient's condition. Today, an early abortion performed in a modern facility by qualified health care professionals is relatively simple and safe. However, complications of abortion like uterine infection or injury can contribute to an inability to have children at a later time. Abortion has been long practiced in most cultures, but public opinion in the Western nations, combined with the opposition of religious leaders, led to restrictive legislation in the 19th century. By the second half of the 20th century, however, abortion was legalized in most of Europe, the USSR, and Japan. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that abortions in the first or second trimester are legal, but the moral and legal controversy surrounding abortion continues.

See also: Roe v. Wade.