Abortion
The term abortion is almost always associated with unwanted pregnancies. However, when used medically, abortion is not limited to the act of terminating an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. Defined on a medical note, abortion refers to the process of terminating a pregnancy by removing or natural expulsion of a fetus from the uterus of a pregnant woman. If abortion occurs simultaneously, it is usually referred to as having a miscarriage. Spontaneous abortion is the unintentional expulsion of the fetus before the pregnant woman has her 24th week of being with child.
On the other hand, induced abortion is something which the pregnant woman, members of the family, or the medical practitioners can decide on. When taken as a medical procedure and when done in accordance with the laws of where the patient resides, abortion is actually one of the safest medical procedures when done by professional medical practitioners. Induced abortion can be done for a number of medical reasons, some of which being embryo death which can cause poisoning to the mother’s life or medical complications such as fetal deformity. In this case, the induced abortion is referred to as therapeutic abortion, and is usually a legal medical practice.
When a pregnant woman requests for abortion through voluntary or elective means with no medical reason other than not wanting to bring life to the child, it is something whose legality depends on where the abortion takes place. There are states as well as countries where abortion for elective purposes is legal, while there are countries where this practice is frowned upon.
Unsafe abortions may lead to the death of not just the baby but the mother as well, and all over the world, it is the reason for over 5 million hospital admissions on a yearly basis. Over 40 million abortions are done all over the world every year, and a little more than half of these are not performed properly which is why being informed about abortion’s real meaning as well as implications is advised.
