Late-term Abortion

In the event of an unplanned or potentially unhealthy or harmful pregnancy, a woman may come to the realization that she cannot or will not see her pregnancy to term. If she is not interested in parenting or adoption, then her last option is an abortion. Abortion laws vary slightly between states and any woman under 18 years of age will need to have parental consent or will have her parents notified about the procedure. Some states also have mandatory waiting periods between an abortion consultation with a health care provider and the procedure or administration of an abortion an abortion pill prescription. There are two different kinds of abortion: in-clinic and medicinal. The kind of abortion a woman is advised to have depends on how far along her pregnancy is.

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Women who are less than nine weeks along in their pregnancy may be advised to take an abortion pill. Women who are under 16 weeks into their pregnancy will undergo an in-clinic abortion called aspiration and those between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy will have an in-clinic procedure called dilation and evacuation. These abortions cost between $350 and $900, according to Planned Parenthood. Late-term abortions, being those that are performed about 20 weeks into a woman's pregnancy, are more controversial in procedure and ethics.

A late-term abortion may be handled with a dilation and evacuation procedure or induced labor, sometimes called partial-birth abortion or intact dilation and extraction. It's incredibly difficult to find hospitals and clinics that will provide late-term abortion services without good cause, meaning the pregnancy poses a detriment to the pregnant woman's health and well being. It is illegal and ruled unconstitutional to ban a third trimester abortion, but some states may require a second opinion from a fellow physician to approve the abortion. Other states require a second physician to be present in the event of the fetus being alive at the time of the abortion procedure. Because of the potential risks and problems for the child and pregnant woman seeking a terminated pregnancy, third trimester abortions are also considerably more expensive than other abortion procedures.

Women considering a late abortion should seek counseling and be entirely sure of her decision and all possible physical and emotional consequences before pursuing this procedure.