Abortion clinic

An abortion clinic is a medical facility that performs or specializes in abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers or private medical practices.

Planned Parenthood, whose clinics offer abortions as well as other reproductive care and counseling, is the largest operator of abortion clinics in the United States. American Women's Services is another operator of private clinics throughout the northeast United States. Abortion Clinics OnLine is the largest source of abortion clinic websites in the US.

The first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) opened on February 27 1971.

Attacks on abortion clinics
Because of the controversial nature of abortion in many countries, including the United States, pro-life advocates often protest abortion clinics through picketing, or other means such as holding vigils, although some have taken to more drastic means such as arson to prevent people from using these facilities. Over a fifteen year period there have been 167 attacks on abortion clinics of one form or another. The amount of anti-abortion related violence peaked in 2003.

In the U.S., violence directed toward abortion providers has claimed the lives of 7 people, including 3 doctors, 2 clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort. These are:
 * Dr. David Gunn
 * Dr. John Britton and James Barrett
 * Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols
 * Police Officer Robert Sanderson, killed by future Centennial Olympic bomber Eric Robert Rudolph
 * Dr. Barnett Slepian

A fourth doctor, George Patterson, was shot in Mobile, Alabama on August 21, 1993, but it is uncertain whether his death was the direct result of his profession or rather a robbery.

Other Terms
Because of the controversial nature of abortion, a number of alternative terms for "abortion clinic" have arisen from both sides of the abortion debate. Those opposed to legal abortion sometimes pejoratively refer to abortion clinics as "abortuaries" (a portmanteau of "abortion" and "mortuary") or "abortion mills", while supporters of legal abortion and abortion clinics themselves often use the title "women's clinic".