Abortion exceptionalism is the idea that voluntary abortion

Abortion

Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

s are special, and therefore need to be treated differently in laws and policies compared to other medical procedures. Special laws protect abortion providers, abortion clinic

Abortion clinic

An abortion clinic is a medical facility that primarily performs or specializes in abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers or private medical practices.-Canada:*There were 197 abortion providers in Canada in 2001....

s, and the medical record

Medical record

The terms medical record, health record, and medical chart are used somewhat interchangeably to describe the systematic documentation of a single patient's medical history and care across time within one particular health care provider's jurisdiction....

s of women who have sought abortions.

US courts have generally treated abortion as an exception to the usual rules about regulating medical practices.

Different types of exceptionalism

Exceptionalism

Exceptionalism is the perception that a country, society, institution, movement, or time period is "exceptional" in some way and thus does not need to conform to normal rules or general principles...

 related to abortion have been documented. For example, some African and Middle Eastern governments generally prohibit abortions, but permit them for victims of mass rape during war.