According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.18 million legal abortions were performed in the United States in 1997.
The risk of death from legal abortion is 0.4 per 100,000 induced abortions. Most abortions are performed surgically by vacuum curettage. Medical abortion (abortion induced by the use of medications) has recently become an option in this country. In most medical abortions, expulsion of the pregnancy occurs at home. About 1% of women require surgical evacuation to complete the process.