DEFINITIONS OF ABORTION TERMS

• Abortion This word has a number of meanings. The medical definition is: the end of a pregnancy before viability. i.e. the termination of the process of gestation after the time when the zygote attaches itself to the uterine wall, and before the fetus is possibly capable of surviving on its own (currently 20 to 28 weeks from conception). There are two types of abortions:
  • Accidental abortion: a termination of pregnancy before viability that occurs naturally, without medical intervention. Synonym for miscarriage.
  • Therapeutic abortion: a termination of pregnancy via the intervention of a physician through surgery or the use of RU-486 or some other medication.

  The term is sometimes use by the public to refer to induced abortions at any time from conception to birth. This definition is used throughout this series of essays. The term must be used with great care, because of the multiple meanings of the word; misunderstandings are common.

• Anti-choice: Derogatory term used to refer to pro-life advocates, implying that their prime motivation is to control women and restrict their freedom. It is not. See "Pro-life".
• Baby: Normally, this means a very young child aged from birth to perhaps 1 year. The term is also sometimes used (particularly by pro-life advocates) to refer to an unborn embryo or fetus.
• Blastocyst: A stage of pre-natal mammalian development which (in humans) extends from the morula stage (a shapeless mass of cells), to an embryo stage (after 2 weeks).
• Child: Normally, this means a person aged from birth to puberty. Sometimes it is used to refer to an unborn fetus as well. In legal usage, it often means a person who has been born but has not attained their 18th birthday.
• Conception: A synonym for "fertilization"
• D&X Abortions A procedure in which the brain is removed from a fetus when it is partly born. This reduces the size of the skull and permits the fetus to be removed through the woman's cervix. Its use is restricted to very rare instances in which:
  • the fetus is already dead
  • the fetus is alive but must be killed in order to save the life of the woman
  • the fetus is alive but must be killed in order to avoid very serious injury and long term disability to the woman
  The option to performing a D&X is a D&E which is far more dangerous to the woman; it can cause perforation or tearing of the uterus, and/or hemorrhaging.
• Embryo: A stage of pre-natal mammalian development which (in humans) extends from 2 to 8 weeks.
• Fertilization: The penetration of an ovum by a single sperm. Most pro-life advocates argue that a just-fertilized ovum is human life and must be protected under law.
• Fetus: A stage of pre-natal mammalian development which (in humans) extends from 9 weeks after fertilization to birth.
• Infant: A child; variously defined as aged from birth to 1, 7, and even (in some legal applications) as old as 21 years.
• Miscarriage Interruption of pregnancy prior to the 7th month. Usually used to refer to an expulsion of the fetus which starts without being induced by medical intervention. Approximately 25% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage.
• Morula: A very early stage of pre-natal mammalian development during which a zygote develops into a solid mass of cells.
• Ovum: The mature sex cell generated by females in an ovary. They are about .005 inches in diameter and are often (although not necessarily) released from alternate ovaries about once per month. Probably over 99% of ovums die without being fertilized and given the opportunity to develop into a fetus.
• Pregnancy: The stages of pre-natal mammalian development which extends from the time that the embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus until birth. The term is often used by the public to extend from fertilization to birth.
• Pro-abortion: Derogatory term used to refer to the pro-choice stance, implying that they promote abortion. They do not. See "Pro-choice".
• Pro-choice: A belief that women should be given free access to abortions.
• Pro-life: A belief that life becomes human life at the instant of conception (or perhaps shortly after) and that it should be protected under law.
• Sperm, Spermatozoa: The mature sex cell generated by males. They are about 1/500 inch long. Almost all of their length is formed by a tail. Tens of thousands are generated every minute by most males, starting at puberty. Over 99.999% of sperm die without being able to fertilize an ovum.
• Trimester: A period lasting nominally 3 months. A human pregnancy is often divided into three trimesters, from fertilization to birth. Laws restricting abortions often differ among the trimesters.
• Viability: The ability for the developing fetus to live on its own if it were delivered by cesarean section or by normal delivery. This typically occurs sometime after the 21st week after conception. Abortions are allowed by various state and provincial Medical Associations only prior to viability. Terminations of pregnancies at or after viability are not performed, except for overwhelming medical reasons (threat to the woman's life or death of the fetus). The US Supreme Court defined viability (Roe v. Wade, 1973) as "potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid."
• Zygote: A fertilized ovum.