Abortion

The word abortion, in connection with pregnancy, can be defined as "Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival." Thus, the word includes miscarriage, but commonly refers to induced abortion; that is, the intentional performance of a procedure which causes the death of a living organism.

Abortion is a controversial topic in the United States. Prior to 1973 it was illegal, usually criminal, and considered to be serious medical misconduct. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision ruled that abortions are permissible, as a woman's choice, up to the point at which the fetus becomes able to survive outside the womb.

The movement which supports freedom of reproductive choice for women labels itself the "Pro-Choice" movement; the movement in the United States which opposes a woman's reproductive rights calls itself the "Pro-Life" movement. However, the "Pro-Life" movement tends to be rather conflicted on which "lives" deserve to be protected - as a majority of the followers of this movement support the death penalty, as well as the wholesale slaughter of the Iraqi people. Seemingly, one is to conclude that a fetus has more rights than a full grown human being in their world view.