How Late Can You Get an Abortion?

Abortion-- or "elective termination of pregnancy" as it is more politely called--is one of the most common medical procedures in the United States, with about 1.2 million abortions performed each year.

Limit

• The time limit within which an abortion can be performed depends on the viability of the fetus, or the unborn baby, but in most cases is between 22 and 24 weeks. In 2010, Nebraska imposed a ban on abortions beyond 20 weeks.

Trimesters

• Trimester literally means "three months," but the terms first, second and third trimester are often used to describe weeks 1 to 14, 15 to 28 and 29 to 40, respectively, of a pregnancy term.

Abortion Procedures

• The choice of medical or surgical abortion is usually available during the first trimester of pregnancy, but medical abortion-- involving drugs such methotrexate and mistoprostol--is only available during the first 9 weeks. Beyond that, surgical procedures are the only option.