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D & X stands for "intact dilation and extraction" or "intact dilation and evacuation" and is commonly known as partial-birth abortion. D & X is a mid-term and late-term abortion procedure which the American Medical Association's (AMA) website ama-assn.org describes as "deliberate dilatation of the cervix, usually over a sequence of days; instrumental or manual conversion of the fetus to a footling breech; breech extraction of the body excepting the head; and partial evacuation of the intracranial contents of the fetus to effect vaginal delivery of a dead but otherwise intact fetus." Another description of D & X is the abortion doctor uses forceps to grasp the fetus' leg; the leg is pulled out into the birth canal; the doctor delivers the fetus' entire body, except for the head; the doctor inserts scissors into the fetus' skull; the scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole; the scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted; the fetus' brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse; the dead intact fetus is removed.

D & X is not medically necessary. The AMA goes on to say "according to the scientific literature, there does not appear to be any identified situation in which intact D & X is the only appropriate procedure to induce abortion." The AMA also says, "Although third-trimester abortions can be performed to preserve the life or health of the mother, they are in fact, generally not necessary for those purposes. Except in extraordinary circumstances, maternal health factors which demand termination of the pregnancy can be accommodated without sacrifice of the fetus, and the near certainty of the independent viability of the fetus argues for ending the pregnancy by appropriate delivery."

D & X is not the only type of mid-term and late-term abortion. Another mid-term and late-term abortion technique is D & E which stands for dilation and evacuation. WebMD says the first step in a D & E abortion is to dilate the cervix. Enlarging the opening of the cervix enables surgical instruments such as a curette or forceps to be inserted into the uterus. The second step in a D & E abortion is to remove the fetus. The pregnant woman is given a local anesthetic or general anesthesia. Forceps are inserted into the uterus through the vagina and used to separate the fetus into pieces which are removed one at a time. The last step is to use vacuum aspiration to ensure no fetal tissue remains in the uterus. Another way to describe D & E abortion is to say that

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