The Abortion Basics: The Reproductive Rights Glossary
This glossary is comprised of terms that come up frequently in the abortion debate.
Abortifacient- An herbal supplement that can induce an abortion. Can be extremely dangerous to administer and is not recommended by physicians
Abortion- The termination of a pregnancy whether induced or spontaneous.
Abstinence-Only Education- Ineffective sex education programs taught in high school over comprehensive sex education instead. Leaves teenagers open to unwanted pregnancy and STIs.
Adoption- A process whereby the parental rights of birth parents are permanently transferred to adopting parents who wish to raise the birth parents’ child(ren).
Anti-Abortion- Slang term used by anti-choice supporters. Implies that pro-choice supporters must be “pro-abortion”.
Anti-Choice- The opposite of pro-choice. Anti-choice supporters actively rally for the banning of all abortions regardless of circumstance, age, or health.
Autonomy- The quality or state of being independent, free, and self-directing; independence from the organism as a whole in the capacity of a part for growth, reactivity, or responsiveness.
Back Alley Abortion- Abortions done by individuals on the black market. They are illegal and usually performed by someone who is not trained or licensed to perform them. They do not necessarily take place in a “back-alley” and are extremely dangerous. Illegal abortions cause almost 80,000 deaths a year and innumerable complications for women who are lucky enough to survive them.
Birth Control- Please see contraception.
Blastocyst- A very early embryo consisting of about 150-300 cells. A blastocyst may or may not implant into the uterus.
Coat Hanger- The symbol of the pro-choice movement. Was a frequent instrument used to self-induce abortions before Roe v. Wade.
Comprehensive Sex Education- Education programs that aim to teach teenagers about contraception, abortion, abstinence, and STIs.
Condom- A thin rubber, animal skin, or latex sheath put over the penis to prevent pregnancy and some STIs.
Contraception- Medication, sexual practices, or devices deliberately used to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy and some STIs.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers- Pregnancy centers run by anti-choice activists that generally set up shop near abortion clinics to purposefully confuse women seeking abortions by claiming to provide them. They perpetuate misinformation about abortion statistics and promote abortion-related myths and rumors. Most do not have a licensed doctor on staff and use fraudulent ads promoting services they do not actually offer.
Dilation and Extraction Method (D&E abortion)- A type of surgical abortion procedure that includes dilating the cervix and emptying the uterus with a mixture of suction and medical instruments. Can be used at 15 to 26 weeks gestation.
Dilation and Curettage Method (D &C abortion)- A type of surgical abortion that includes dilating the cervix and using a curette to clean the walls of the cervix.
DIY Abortion- Stands for “do-it-yourself” abortion. See self-induced abortion.
Ectopic Pregnancy- Pregnancy that implants somewhere other than the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies are rarely viable and must be aborted if the uterus-owner is expected to live.
Embryo- An implanted zygote or blastocyst that eventually grows into a fetus.
Fetus- An unborn vertebrate that has developed a visible basic structure of development, generally around 8-12 weeks after fertilization.
George Tiller- Dr. Tiller was one of three abortion providers that would perform abortions after 21 weeks in the US. His work was based in Wichita, Kansas. On May 31st, 2009 Dr. Tiller was murdered while attending Sunday services to his church by Scott Roeder, an anti-choice extremist with ties to Operation Rescue.
Gerri Santoro- Santoro died from a back-alley abortion that her boyfriend attempted to perform on her. He used a medical textbook as a reference but when Santoro began hemorrhaging he fled the hotel room and left her to bleed to death on the floor. The picture taken of her body has become a pro-choice symbol for why abortion must remain safe and legal. She was the mother of two children and was approximately 6 months pregnant at the time of her abortion. She got an abortion because she believed her estranged, abusive husband would kill her when he found out.
Gestational Age- The length of a pregnancy in a mammal. See also: LMP Gestation.
Guttmacher Institute- A scientifically praised research institute that aims to collect information about sexual and reproductive health world-wide.
Hormonal Birth Control- Contraception that act on the endocrine system to cease ovulation in women, hormonal birth control supplements are generally not available for men, however, there have been several advances in this field and clinical trials are sure to happen in the future. Hormonal birth control supplements can be pills, patches, shots, microchips, or vaginal insertion rings.
Hysterotomy Abortion- A type of late-term surgical abortion procedure sort of like a c-section. The fetus will most likely have its heart stopped prior to extraction.
Induced Abortion (also known as elective abortion)- Abortions that are chosen due to whatever reason.
Intact Dilation and Extraction Abortion (Partial-Birth Abortion)- PBA is a type of second-term or late-term abortion procedure also known as IDE or IDX. The doctor induces labor and delivers the fetus feet first until the base of the skull is visible. The doctor then inserts a tube at the base of the skull and vacuums out the brain in order to collapse the back of the skull to make the delivery safer. This abortion procedure provides a fully intact fetus so that parents may bury it or have it baptized. This procedure was outlawed in the US in 2007 but is still performed in other parts of the world.
Late-Term Abortion- Generally an abortion that is done after 24 weeks or in the third trimester. Is not, technically, an elective abortion. Late-term abortions are performed only when the uterus-owner’s life is in danger and the fetus cannot survive outside the womb due to birth defects. These are only performed when the risk of death associated with the abortion is less than the risk of death to carry the pregnancy any longer as late-term abortions are extremely dangerous.
LMP Gestational Age- In humans, gestational age is calculated to be from a woman’s last menstrual period (LMP).
Medical Abortion- An abortion induced with medication rather than a surgery.
Mifepristone- The first medication used to medically terminate a pregnancy.
Misoprostol- A prostaglandin; taken after Mifepristone.
NARAL Pro-Choice- The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights League. NARAL is a pro-choice lobbyist group. Their goals are to give the pro-choice movement a voice in Washington. Its website is also a great resource to find out how to get involved in your area and to see where your congressional representatives stand in regards to a woman’s right to choose.
Operation Rescue- An anti-choice extremist group akin to a home-grown Christian terrorist group. The leaders of this group have served time for attempted bombings and murders of abortion providers in the past and were connected to Scott Roeder, an anti-choice extremist that murdered Dr. George Tiller in 2009. Cheryl Sullenger, a prominent member of Operation Rescue, gave Scott Roeder the whereabouts of Dr. Tiller at certain times of day as Operation Rescue members had been stalking and harassing Dr. Tiller and his employees for years prior to the murder.
Partial-Birth Abortion (PBA)- Please see Intact dilation and extraction abortion.
Personhood- The state or condition of being a person or having qualities that confer distinct individuality. A person is autonomous.
Planned Parenthood (PP)- The biggest sexual and reproductive health provider in the US that performs abortions. Planned Parenthood provides contraceptives at low costs and aims to provide low-cost sexual and reproductive health care. Amongst abortion Planned Parenthood also provides STI screenings, pelvic exams, pre-natal care, hormonal birth control prescriptions, and comprehensive sex education
Post-Abortion Syndrome- An anti-choice myth perpetuated by anti-choice supporters also called Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome. Anti-choice supporters claim that it is a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and symptoms include extreme guilt, depression, and regret. Post-Abortion Syndrome is a myth and is not supported by the American Psychological Institute, Adelaide, Guttmacher Institute, or the BBC.
Pro-Abortion- A slang term anti-choice supporters use to vilify pro-choice supporters. Such a term implies that pro-choice supporters believe every pregnancy should be aborted or are always going to choose abortion. This is not true.
Pro-Choice- The opposite of anti-choice. Pro-choice supporters believe women should be able to consider abortion as an option when faced with an unwanted pregnancy or possibly fatal pregnancy.
Pro-Life- The common term used by anti-choice supporters. Using this term implies that people who are pro-choice are “anti-life” which is absurd. No one is anti-life.
Roe vs. Wade- A landmark US supreme Court case that was passed in 1973 that made abortion legal nationwide. The ruling granted that the right to get an abortion was constitutionally guaranteed under a woman’s right to privacy.
Saline Abortion- A method to induce a second-term abortion as saline acts as a prostaglandin. Saline is inserted into the amniotic sac; urea is also sometimes used over saline. The saline is not injected directly into the fetus and even if it was, the saline would not “burn” the fetus like many anti-choice supporters claim because saline solution is harmless when intravenously given to human beings.
Second-Term Abortion- An abortion that happens in the second trimester of a pregnancy.
Self-Induced Abortion- An abortion a woman attempts to do without medical help. Self-induced abortions include inserting coat hangers, knitting needles, pencils, or other objects into the vagina in the hopes of opening the cervix and removing the fetus. They can also include overdosing on abortifacients purchased over the internet or attempting to induce an abortion by beating, falling down the stairs, etc. Women usually die or experience severe complications (like sepsis or perforating the uterus) and sometimes do not successfully terminate the pregnancy in the process.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)- Various infections that are usually contracted through sexual contact. Some are treatable while others are not.
Spontaneous Abortion- Essentially, a miscarriage.
Stem Cells- Cells that have the ability to renew themselves and differentiate into specialized cells. Embryonic stem cells are very valuable and used to research spinal cord injury treatments, AIDS/HIVE treatments, and cancer treatments, among other diseases. Adult stem cells also exist but they are not as easy to harvest.
Suction-Aspiration Abortion (Manual Vacuum Abortion or Electric Vacuum Abortion)- MVA is a type of suction abortion that uses a syringe to manually vacuum empty the cervix. EVA is the same thing, only it uses an electric vacuum rather than a manually operated syringe.
Surgical Abortion- An abortion that is induced by an abortion provider in the clinic with surgical tools.
Viability- The point at which a fetus has more than a 50% chance to live outside the womb. In humans the point of viability happens at approximately 25 weeks.
World Health Organization- The WHO is a faction of the UN that seeks to monitor health standards and help set evidence-based policy standards through research and health trend assessment. It has peer-reviewed research about abortion statistics world-wide.
Zygote- A fertilized egg cell, not necessarily implanted in uterus.
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(UPDATE: This Glossary has been updated to remove typos and adjust formatting)
