Abortion, the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life, can either be spontaneous or induced. It is called, "the knowing destruction of life of an unborn child." When abortion occurs spontaneously, it is called a miscarriage. However, when the loss of a fetus intentionally, it is regarded as a moral issue. An estimated 1.2 million are performed each year. In retrospect, an estimated 38,010,378 innocent children were aborted since 1973 when the process was legalized (Abortion in the United States). Abortion destroys the lives of innocent children and is illegal in many countries. .
Abortion is a simple and safe procedure if done by trained medical workers during the first trimester. There are four different techniques utilized during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. The most common surgical means of abortion is the suction aspiration, also known as vacuum curettage. This is when a powerful suction tube with a sharp cutting edge is inserted into the womb through a dilated cervix. This suction dismembers the body from the wall of the uterus sucking blood, amniotic fluids, placental tissue, and fetal parts into a bottle (Description of Abortion Techniques). Although this is one of the safest methods, there are still frequent complications such as infection and tearing of the uterus, causing hemorrhaging. Dilation and Curettage (D&C) is another surgical process involving the insertion of a loop shaped steel knife to cut the babies body into pieces. The placenta is then scraped off the uterine wall. There is a higher risk of infection with D&C and greater blood loss than with suction aspiration. RU 486 and Methotrexate are two similar types of chemical abortion. RU 486 is a pill that can be taken orally only during the five to nine week period. Three trips must be made to the abortion clinic. In the first, the RU 486 pill is administered after a physical examination.