Abortion
In mammals, an 'abortion' is when a pregnancy ends early without the birth of babies. Abortions can occur naturally, usually because something went wrong with the pregnancy. When this happens, it is called a miscarriage. Humans can also end the pregnancy on purpose before birth takes place. This is called an 'induced abortion'. Different countries have different laws regarding induced abortion. While abortion is illegal in many countries, there are often exceptions that permit it in cases such as incest, rape, severe fetal defects or the mother's health being at risk.