Illegal abortion
Illegal abortion is any abortion which is contrary to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is carried out, or sometimes the laws of the country of origin of the participants. When performed in a non-medical or quasi-medical setting, they are sometimes referred to as back-street abortions. Illegal abortions may also be self-induced (a "self procedure"). Both back-street abortions and self procedures are known for their associated health risks compared to standard medical care.
As time has passed, the classification of legal and illegal abortion has changed in various jurisdictions. Notably in the Western world, the introduction of laws against abortion was followed in the 20th century with changes to allow abortion in a gradually wider range of circumstances.