Expert: Deborah - 11/14/2008

Question
A friend of mine is four and a half months pregnant and in a terrible situation.

She wants to get an abortion, but was told by a doctor that four and a half months is too late (in general, not just for her; she has no medical problems).

This seems unlikely to me. All of the debate about late-term abortion seemed to me to imply that there could be abortions in the seventh or eighth mont.

Is it true that it is difficult to get an abortion at four and a half months? Won't abortion clinics do them?

Many thanks,

Betty

Answer
Dear Betty,

It is true that abortion is difficult to obtain at 4 and a half months.  Abortion is illegal after viability, when the fetus could survive on it's own.  

Most abortion clinics will not perform abortions at the stage your friend is at.  The only advice I could give you friend is to try Dr. George Tiller in Kansas.  

This is from his website:

"Late Abortion Care
Elective

Abortion Counseling & Consultation | Procedure

At Women's Health Care Services, we specialize in "late" abortion care. We are able to perform elective abortions to the time in the pregnancy when the fetus is viable. Viability is not a set point in time. Viability is determined by the attending physician and is based on sonogram results, physical examination and last menstrual period date (if known). Our telephone counselors will ask you a number of medical questions to determine if you are eligible for an elective abortion. If you have visited another clinic or physician, we will ask for the results from a recent ultrasound."


Go to the website for more information:

http://www.drtiller.com/elect.html

Take care,

Deb