Second-Trimester Abortion: Clinical Guidance and Practice Bulletin
The purpose of this document is to provide evidence-based guidelines for the medical and surgical methods of second-trimester termination as well as for the management of associated complications. This topic is addressed in the Clinical Guidance Practice Bulletin, specifically Practice Bulletin PB Number 135, published in June 2013.
Prevalence and Statistics
In the United States, more than one half of pregnancies are unintended, with 3 in 10 women having an abortion by age 45 years. In 2008, 1.2 million abortions occurred in the United States.
The proportion of abortions performed in the second trimester has remained stable during the past two decades. The second trimester is usually defined as between 13 weeks of gestation and 26 weeks of gestation (as calculated from the last menstrual period).
Distribution of Abortions by Gestational Age (2008)
| Gestational Age | Percentage of Abortions |
|---|---|
| 13 weeks to 15 weeks | 6.2% |
| 16 weeks or later | 4.0% |
| 21 weeks or later | 1.3% |
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