 The trend in public policy, dating back to the 1970s in the U.S. and most of Europe, seems to be moral compromise (McDonagh 1996; Sher 1981). The law tends to permit women to obtain abortions freely in the first trimester and then to limit access to second and third trimester abortions. Philosophical differences in how societies think about abortion ethics are reflected in the four major models of abortion regulation found around the world. The models of abortion regulation are (1) the model of prohibition, banning most abortions, even if medically safe; (2) the model of permission, allowing most abortions but based legislated eligibility criteria rather than choice; (3) the model of prescription, requiring even unwanted abortions for eugenic or population control purposes and (4) the model of privacy, freely allowing most abortions chosen by women, with minimal restrictions. While the U.S. under Roe v. Wade (1973) used to be a nation in which the model of privacy prevailed, it has taken on features of a model of permission regime since 1989 when the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would begin allowing restrictions. The Court has upheld restrictions it deems not unduly restrictive of choice, including mandatory waiting periods and bans on specific second and third semester abortion (so-called “partial birth”) techniques.