Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or spontaneous abortion and occurs in approximately 30% to 50% of pregnancies. When deliberate steps are taken to end a pregnancy, it is called an induced abortion, or less frequently "induced miscarriage". The unmodified word abortion generally refers to an induced abortion. Late termination of pregnancy, also called late term abortion, is rare, accounting for fewer than 1% of abortions in the United States, and is usually done because of severe fetal deformity, where long-term survival is unlikely, or because of risk to the woman's life.
