Portal:Medicine/Selected article/5, 2007

An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. This can occur spontaneously as a miscarriage, or be artificially induced by chemical, surgical or other means. Commonly, "abortion" refers to an induced procedure at any point during pregnancy; medically, it is defined as miscarriage or induced termination before twenty weeks' gestation, which is considered nonviable.

Throughout history abortion has been induced by various methods. The moral and legal aspects of abortion are subject to intense debate in many parts of the world. (More...)