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Recent News
Jun. 8, 2023, 4:29 PM ET (AP)
NY attorney general files lawsuit against anti-abortion group known for blocking access to clinics
Jun. 7, 2023, 1:21 PM ET (AP)
Polish prosecutors and ombudsman investigate death of pregnant woman in hospital
Jun. 6, 2023, 6:40 PM ET (AP)
Abortion providers sue Kansas over longstanding waiting period, new medication rule
Jun. 2, 2023, 2:16 PM ET (AP)
College student accused of setting fire to Wyoming's only abortion clinic pleads not guilty
Jun. 2, 2023, 12:31 PM ET (AP)
State Supreme Court: Ohio abortion question will go forward as single issue
Top Questions
What is an abortion?
Should abortion be legal?
abortion, the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability (in human beings, usually about the 20th week of gestation). An abortion may occur spontaneously, in which case it is also called a miscarriage, or it may be brought on purposefully, in which case it is often called an induced abortion. Spontaneous abortions, or miscarriages, occur for many reasons, including disease, trauma, genetic defect, or biochemical incompatibility of mother and fetus. Occasionally a fetus dies in the uterus but fails to be expelled, a condition termed a missed abortion. Induced abortions may be ...(100 of 1284 words)