Abortion can be induced for medical reasons or because of an
elective decision to end the pregnancy. Procedures for inducing
abortion include vacuum suction (the most common, used in the
early stages of pregnancy), dilatation and evacuation (D and E),
induction (injection of abortifacients such as prostaglandins
into the uterus), and hysterotomy (a surgical procedure similar
to a cesarean section, used later in pregnancy, especially when
the woman's life is in danger). The "abortion pill," the drug
RU-486 (mifepristone), was approved by the Food and Drug
Administration in the United States in 2000. It is used within
the first seven weeks of pregnancy. A second drug is taken two
days later to start uterine contractions and complete the
abortion. The drugs methotrexate and misoprostol have also been
used experimentally to end early pregnancies. Sections in this
article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright
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