There is some confusion about partial birth abortion, and that's not surprising since it is a "made-up" term. Most people are uncomfortable with PBA because it has been presented as a late-term procedure occurring perhaps just minutes before birth (of a healthy baby, of course). Late-term abortions are done only for medical reasons, i.e. to save the mother's life or health, the fetus is severely deformed, etc. But SOME PBSs have been done in the second trimester, i.e. electively.

D&X procedure (a.k.a.Partial Birth Abortion) - All sides

This is a topic that is almost never discussed during public debates or on pro-life information sources:
1st Trimester: D&Xs are not performed during the first three months of pregnancy, because there are better ways to perform abortions. There is no need to follow a D&X procedure, because the fetus' head quite small at this stage of gestation and can be quite easily removed by suction from the woman's uterus.2nd Trimester: D&Xs are very rarely performed in the late second trimester at a time in the pregnancy before the fetus is viable. These, like most abortions, are performed for a variety of reasons, including: She is not ready to have a baby for whatever reason and has delayed her decision to have an abortion into the second trimester. As mentioned above, 90% of abortions are done in the first trimester.There are mental or physical health problems related to the pregnancy. The fetus has been found to be dead, badly malformed, or suffering from a very serious genetic defect, like Down's Syndrome. This is often only detectable late in the second trimester.3rd Trimester: They are also very rarely performed in late pregnancy. The most common justifications at that time are: The fetus is dead.The fetus is alive, but continued pregnancy would place the woman's life in severe danger.The fetus is alive, but continued pregnancy would grievously damage the woman's health and/or disable her.The fetus is so malformed that it can never gain consciousness and will die shortly after birth. Many which fall into this category have developed a very severe form of hydrocephalus.In addition, some physicians violate their state medical association's regulations and perform elective D&X procedures - primarily on women who are suicidally depressed.


(Here's a clue: Don't look for the truth about abortion on a pro-life site.)