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Second-Trimester Induced Abortion in the United States

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Second-Trimester Abortion

Abstract

Second-trimester legal abortion is an important public health problem in the United States because:

  • These surgical procedures are performed almost 100,000 times each year

  • They have been responsible for more than half of the abortion-related deaths among women in this country since 1972

  • Most of the disability and the deaths associated with these procedures can be prevented

The data in Figure 2–1 demonstrate that, as pregnancy duration increases, the risk of death from induced abortion also increases.1 It is clear that abortion deaths in the United States could be reduced by more than 50%, if all abortions were performed in the first trimester of pregnancy instead of the first two trimesters.

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References

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Authors

Editor information

Gary S. Berger MD, MSPH, FACOG William E. Brenner MD, FACOG Louis G. Keith MD, FACOG

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© 1981 Gary S. Berger, William E. Brenner and Loius G. Keith

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Tyler, C.W., Cates, W., Schulz, K.F., Selik, R.M., Smith, J.C. (1981). Second-Trimester Induced Abortion in the United States. In: Berger, G.S., Brenner, W.E., Keith, L.G. (eds) Second-Trimester Abortion. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8293-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8293-2_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8295-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8293-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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