- Definition. Elective or voluntary “abortion” is the interruption of pregnancy before viability at the request of the woman.
- About 1.2 million terminations are performed annually in the USA. Half the women are younger than 25 years. About 88% are conducted up to 12 weeks, 10% from 13 weeks to 20 weeks, and 1–2% beyond 20 weeks.
- Worldwide, 44 million pregnancy terminations occur annually. Abortion rates (per 1,000 women aged 15–44) vary from 12 in western Europe to 32 in Latin America.
- Half the abortions worldwide are considered unsafe. Unsafe abortion accounts for an estimated 13% of all maternal deaths.
History
- Abortion has a long history and has been induced by various methods over the centuries, including herbal abortifacients, physical trauma, and insertion of non-surgical instruments (knitting needles, clothes hangers) into the uterus. These methods are rarely seen in developed countries where medical and surgical abortion is legal and available.
- Elective pregnancy termination in the UK has been legal since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967. Abortion was legalized in the USA with the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Worldwide, abortion laws vary substantially by region. Some countries allow abortion by request (the USA, Canada, the UK, France, China, Russia). Some countries allow abortion only to save a woman’s life (Ireland, Indonesia, Egypt). A few countries ban abortions without exception (Chile, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua).
Personal and social factors
- Women choose to undergo pregnancy termination for a variety of reasons, including a desire to delay or end childbearing, concern over the interruption of work or education, issues of financial or relationship stability, and perceived immaturity.
- In the USA and the UK, 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest, 6% because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% for social reasons (the pregnancy was unplanned).
- Societal pressures may also influence the decision to undergo termination. Examples include disapproval of single motherhood, insufficient economic support for families, lack of access to or rejection of contraceptive methods, or efforts toward population control (such as China’s one-child policy).
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