The medical definition of abortion is the "induced termination of a pregnancy with destruction of the fetus or embryo" (Stedman's, 2004). The legal definition is "the termination of pregnancy by various means, including medial surgery, before the fetus is able to sustain independent life" (Hill and Hill, 2005). These are the rational definitions. However, the emotionally charged definition of the Abortion Alternatives group is, "it is the murder of a child. Clinicians sell abortion as a process of elimination, as cruel and insensitive as that may sound, but they wouldn't dare state it as harshly" (Abortion Alternative, 2006).
On the pro abortion side are such groups as NARAL Pro-Choice America, which, while it agrees that everything should be done to prevent unwanted pregnancies, believes that abortion is a woman's right to choose (NARAL, 2006). The 1973 Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe v. Wade was a "compromise between the state's ability to restrict abortion and a woman's right to choose." Despite that ruling, 87 percent of U.S. counties still have no provider of abortions for women, and the anti-choice activists work constantly to chip away at a woman's right to choose, as can be seen in the constant legislative actions taken by the Bush Administration (Bush's, 2005). He is the first president in U.S. history to criminalize medical procedures.
The reproductive rights and health of a woman encompass many aspects of her life, including the right to choose if and when to do so (The Facts, 2006). Birth control, pre-natal checkups, abortions and regular checkups are only available to those with insurance. For those without insurance, reproductive technologies and abortion are usually not covered by Medicaid, and so are unavailable to many women. This is because of a 1976 Hyde Amendment law which prohibits states from spending federal Medicaid funds on abortions except in rare cases. In four states, even pri...