流产

非意愿妊娠

多数的妊娠为无计划的，并且许多是不受欢迎的甚或非意愿的。一旦准父母有时间调整好自己，无计划和不受欢迎的妊娠通常会被他们所接纳；但是，非意愿妊娠则是一个棘手的问题。

发生非意愿妊娠有多种原因。其中之一是被强奸。可是，最常见的则是荒唐可笑：那些盲目投入性行为的人对避孕一无所知，或不能得到避孕药具，或他们少不省事、粗心大意和缺乏责任心，或他们所使用的避孕药具不起作用。无论怎样的原因，非意愿妊娠可以引起严重的社会问题。

至于那些养育数个孩子有困难的父母，要多添一个孩子对于整个家庭来说则意味着穷困和绝望。身体虚弱、有病或吸毒的孕妇，由于身怀有孕，可能进一步危及其健康或使孩子致残。年少、未婚女子可能到底就无准备、不适宜或不愿意承担为母之道。因而，非意愿分娩不仅对母亲而且对孩子都可能是一个灾祸。女性一旦面临这些和相似的窘况，她就有充分的理由决定自愿流产，这是摆脱困境的唯一途径。

Abortion

Unwanted Pregnancies

A great number of pregnancies are unplanned, and many of these are unwelcome or even unwanted. Unplanned and unwelcome pregnancies are usually accepted by the future parents once they have taken some time to adjust to them, but truly unwanted pregnancies are a different matter.

Unwanted pregnancies happen for many reasons. One of them could be rape. However, most often the case is less dramatic: Some people who engage in coitus simply do not know about contraception, or they are unable to get contraceptives, or they are young, careless and irresponsible, or the contraceptives they use do not work. Whatever the cause, an unwanted pregnancy can create very serious problems.

In the case of parents who already have difficulty supporting several children, one more birth can mean misery and despair for the whole family. An expectant mother who is physically weak or who suffers from certain diseases or drug addiction may, by her pregnancy, further endanger her own health or give birth to a sick or deformed baby. A young, unmarried woman may be totally unprepared, unfit, or unwilling to assume the responsibilities of motherhood. Thus, an unwanted birth could be a disaster not only for her but also for the child. In these and similar cases, a woman may well decide that a voluntary abortion is the only way out.