Termination Of Pregnancy
There are two ways to terminate a pregnancy depending on how many weeks the woman has been pregnant; either by taking medication or by having a simple surgical procedure.
A pregnant woman might want to have a termination of pregnancy for health reasons; because a genetic or chromosomal abnormality has been found, or because she does not want to be pregnant.
Most women have terminations of pregnancy in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Fewer abortions occur in the second trimester (4-6 months of pregnancy). Third trimester abortions are usually only done if a life-limiting or serious condition is found in the baby.
Termination of pregnancy is illegal in some countries. Most countries that do allow it have strict rules surrounding who can perform terminations and limit how far in pregnancy and the reasons for which they can be carried out. In countries where termination of pregnancy is illegal, backstreet or illegal abortions are dangerous and can causes serious health problems, or even death, in those undergoing them.
In Europe, it is estimated that 30% of all pregnancies are terminated.
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