Unfortunately for my two friends,both had what some here called an abortion...i.e. the removal of a tube with a baby in it and one had a the exploding tube on the way to the hospital.For some sad reason,neither ever had a baby in her womb,but outside of it...TWICE.
I was explaining the therapy and ethics behind the therapy for ectopics, so that those who are against treatment for tubals would understand better.
However, the CDC does not count the treatment for ectopic pregnancies in with abortions.
And they are certainly not "elective" abortions. They are, as you have said, done to protect the life of the mother. But, if the doc found that the diagnosis was wrong (i.e.,there is no ectopic, but an intrauterine pregnancy and some other cause for the pain and hemorrhage), he would not hunt down the baby in the uterus.