An embryo or fetus grows and becomes more physically developed with each week that passes. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus weighs about 1 ounce. Some religions in Canada consider abortion to be a moral choice. Other religions teach that fetal life is sacred from the moment of conception and should never be deliberately ended, regardless of the circumstances. People have different personal moral views about abortion.
Some abortions are preventable.
Comparative data show that the number of abortions is determined above all by the quality of use of contraceptive methods. In the Netherlands, where abortion is readily available and where contraception is widely promoted and used, the abortion rate is the lowest of any country reported in a world survey. In Canada, teen pregnancy, abortion and birth rates have decreased to the greatest extent in those provinces where comprehensive family planning services have been implemented. A study of 37 developed countries showed the same results. European countries which have provided comprehensive sexuality and family planning education have also succeeded in delaying the first instance of sexual intercourse among young people.