Abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy and has occurred since the beginnings of human societies. Usually, however, people did it quietly, clandestinely, privately, and without government knowledge or interference. Whether an abortion is safe for the woman involved, often a girl, depends on the skill of [Page 11]the practitioner, the cleanliness of the procedure, and the health and safety of the woman as she recovers. Abortion procedures vary with the stage of gestation, and the later the stage of gestation, the riskier the procedure for the person involved.