Late-term abortion.

Recent proposed federal legislation banning certain abortion procedures, particularly intact dilatation and extraction, would modify the US Criminal Code such that physicians performing these procedures would be liable for monetary and statutory damages. Clarification of medical procedures is important because some of the procedures used to induce abortion prior to viability are identical or similar to postviability procedures. This article reviews the scientific and medical information on late-term abortion and late-term abortion techniques and includes data on the prevalence of late-term abortion, abortion-related mortality and morbidity rates, and legal issues regarding fetal viability and the balance of maternal and fetal interests.

Primary care providers' responsiveness to health-risk behaviors reported by adolescent patients.

Objective: To assess clinicians' responsiveness to health-risk behaviors reported by adolescent patients during a comprehensive clinical preventive services visit.

Design: Nonprobability sample of adolescent patients scheduled for a routine physical examination.

Setting: Seven clinical sites in the Chicago, Ill, area.