Much controversy surrounds abortions. Whether one's stance is an ethical or legal one, however, actually knowing what takes place in abortion clinics will make the argue more powerful.Before the AbortionOne cannot simply walk in off the street and have an abortion immediately. Abortion providers require a significant amount of pre-abortion examination in order to determine the woman's physical and emotional ability and willingness to have the procedure done.Examples of pre-abortion examination procedures include:1. The woman undergoing a counseling session that allows the abortion clinics to make her aware of possible other options.2. A nurse or medical assistant taking a thorough medical history. This information is especially necessary to prevent any drug interactions.3. A health care provider performing a comprehensive physical exam, often complete with laboratory tests. The abortion provider should be aware of any potential health care risks involved in providing an abortion to the patient and the examination delivers this information.4. The woman acknowledging any risks associated with the abortion and giving her consent to the procedure by signing the applicable papers.During the AbortionDuring an abortion, the woman will be offered pain medication and the ability to be sedated during the procedure. The health care professional performing the abortion will insert a speculum into the vagina and inject a numbing agent near the opening of the woman's cervix to further ease the pain of the procedure.The specifics of the abortion itself depend upon the type of procedure used. Two of the most common types include aspiration abortions and dilation and evacuation abortions, both of which involve the usage of a suction device to remove the fetal matter from the uterus.Abortions generally last between five to twenty minutes.After the AbortionFollowing abortion procedures in abortion clinics, women typically rest in a recovery room. Their health care provider will provide them post-abortion care procedures and may require a follow-up physical exam to take place two weeks to a month later.Bathing and work activities can resume immediately after the abortion in most cases, although some women may need longer to recover.