DEFINITION OF ABORTION

A. TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY AND EXPULSION OF AN EMBRYO OR OF A FETUS THAT IS INCAPABLE OF SURVIVAL. B.ANY OF VARIOUS PROCEDURES THAT RESULT IN SUCH TERMINATION AND EXPULSION. ALSO CALLED INDUCED ABORTION.

As stated above, abortion is the termination of a fetus. In other words, the fetus dies, whether by the mother's choice or by accident (such as a miscarriage or stillbirth.) Medically, all terminations of pregnancy not resulting in a live birth are defined as abortions. Each year throughout the world, 45million abortions are performed. Compare this to 128.6 million births per year and you get approximately 35% of fetuses each year that never get a chance to live. When discussing abortion, one aspect to consider is that there are two forms or types of abortions, induced abortions and spontaneous or non-induced abortions. Induced abortions are deliberate, human-induced abortions. Induced abortions are subcategorized into therapeutic abortion and elective abortion. Therapeutic abortions are