An abortion is an elective procedure to terminate a pregnancy.
The right of women to obtain an elective abortion in the United States is one of the most controversial political issues in the country. As it exists, a woman has the right to an abortion in the first trimester (first three months) of a pregnancy. After that, the right to an abortion varies from state to state, but still may not be denied if the abortion is necessary for the health of the mother.
Several episodes have dealt with the issue of abortion:
- In Kids, the pregnancy of a 12-year-old girl was terminated as the fetus was producing antibodies that resulted in blood clots in the mother.
- In One Day, One Room, House convinces a teenage rape victim to undergo an abortion when the rape results in her pregnancy.
- In Fetal Position, the mother refused an abortion although both she and the fetus risked death due to complications with the development of the fetus resulting in maternal mirror syndrome.
- In Dying Changes Everything, Lou readily agrees to an abortion to end a dangerous ectopic pregnancy.
The current procedure is usually surgical, entering through the vagina to scrape the fetus and epithelial cells from the uterus.