Abortion Procedures
Overview of Medical Techniques for Terminating Pregnancies
Abortion is defined by Dorland’s Medical Dictionary as the premature expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception — of the embryo, or of a nonviable fetus. Expulsion that occurs naturally is known as a spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage. Termination of pregnancy before viability to protect the life or health of the mother is considered by the medical community to be a therapeutic abortion, while interruption of pregnancy after viability is called delivery. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the State’s important and legitimate interest in potential life becomes "compelling" at the point of fetal viability. After…
