In countries where abortion is illegal, unsafe abortion procedures occur . Women may attempt to self-induce abortion by enemas, laxatives, pills, etc. Also a sharp instrument may be used in the uterus to induce contractions. About 200 million unsafe abortions are performed around the world yearly, resulting is a high toll of maternal deaths. In 1973, based on the right of privacy, the US Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade legalized a woman's right to decide to terminate her pregnancy before the fetus has reached the age of viability.
Viability is defined as the fetus's ability to survive independently of the woman's body.
This usually occurs by the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. Since then, amendments to the Roe v. Wade ruling and attempts at overturning the ruling of this cases have continued. Since 1993, prolife extremists have resorted to killing, believing that killing physicians is justified to save unborn babies. In contrast, prochoice advocates see abortion as a social necessity, due to imperfect and sometimes unavailable birth control methods and lack of education. The physical, emotional, and situational aspects of a pregnancy often elicit an array of contradictory emotions including joy, depression, excitement, impatience, and fear.