INTRODUCTION
Abortion is the removal of an anbryo or foetus from the uterus, resulting or causing its death. It can be spontaneously as miscarriage or artificially. It is sometimes medically defined as either miscarriage or induced termination before the point of variability. Through history, abortion has been induced by various methods and the moral and legal aspects of abortion is subject to intense debate in many parts of the world. The following medical terms are use to categorize abortion:-
- Spontaneous Abortion:- This sudden termination of the foetus/pregnancy. It is characterized by complaints of feeling of uneasiness before the unset of specific signs. The symptoms are vaginal bleeding. Most miscarriages are due to uncorrected replication of chromosomes and also be caused by environmental factors.
- Induced Abortion: This is an abortion brought about by interference either by therapeutic or elective abortion as a result of deliberate human action.
- Therapeutic Abortion:– Abortion performed either to;
- a) Save the life of the pregnant women
- b) Preserve the woman’s physical or mental health.
- c) Terminate pregnancy that would result in a child born with a congenital disorder that would be fatal or association with significant morbidity.
- d) Selecting reduce the number of foetus to lessen health risks association with multiple pregnancies.
- Elective Abortion: This is an abortion performed at will by an individual. It is attempted by unqualified, non-expert person or non-medical practitioner (quack). It can also be done by patients herself by ingesting corrosive substances such as taking blue, potash, lime, or excessive salt.
The world-wide legal states of abortion ranges from complete prohibition to elective procedures at the request of the pregnant woman. Olitan (2010) opined that in the environmental concerns. Social-economic development and recognition of the right of women to control their own fertility and aided by technological innovational. Abortion has gradually emerged from an aura of social ambivalence.
However, abortion has continued ranging debates in political, social, medical, theological and legal fields