He explains that around half of first trimester abortions are “medication abortions,” which are induced abortions by using medications, while the other half are “surgical abortions,” which are medical procedures performed “using a technique commonly called ‘suction dilation and curettage’ (D&C) or ‘vacuum aspiration.’” In the second trimester, he says the surgical technique is “generally known as dilation and evacuation (D&E).” How Common are Abortions Later in Pregnancy?ĭespite what fear-mongering politicians and media outlets would like for you to believe, abortions performed after the first trimester are extremely rare. Chasen says, the biggest difference in the timing of an abortion is how it is performed. Chasen notes providers are still discussing the timing in terms of gestational age/trimester, not “early” or “late.” Chasen says it’s generally because it is “useful in determining what kinds of techniques are used, where they are performed, and (unfortunately) when and where they are legal.” Even when considering these factors, Dr.
In fact, if a physician is considering the timing of the abortion, Dr. While people outside the medical community often categorize abortion timing as a means for moral or ethical argument, abortion providers do not. Chasen, “and those of us who care for pregnant individuals would never use these terms when talking about abortion.” “‘Later term’ and ‘early term’ are not real categories,” explains Dr. Horvath, “but most people understand it to mean either abortion after the first trimester (greater than 14 weeks of pregnancy) or at some other in the pregnancy.”
“There isn’t one uniform definition of what constitutes a later abortion,” says Dr. Once again, this is a very, very simplified way of looking at the procedure, and it’s not at all how physicians and health care providers approach it. That’s why you might hear people break abortions up into two categories: “early” or “late.” This is where the next layer of debate comes in, and questions tend to focus on whether or not there should there be a “cut-off” point for abortions. Wade, with new state laws being implemented across the country, there’s a lot more nuance to the issue than some people may have realized before now. But as we’ve seen over the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. One is the black and white question of whether abortion should or should not be legal. There are a lot of layers to the abortion debate in the U.S. She says, “‘Late-term’ confuses later abortion with ‘term pregnancy,’ which is a pregnancy at 37-40 weeks.” She prefers the terminology “later abortion” or simply “abortion later in pregnancy.” What’s the Difference Between Earlier and Later Abortions?
Horvath agrees, “late-term abortion” is not language that is (or should be) used. “The first trimester is from conception until about 12 weeks later,” he explains, “The second trimester is considered to extend from about 12 weeks until the time when a newborn can survive outside the womb, which is generally considered about 24 weeks of gestation.” (Note that this is the point in a pregnancy that you may hear referred to as “fetal viability.”) “And the third trimester, when an extremely small portion of abortions occur, is the last three months of pregnancy.”ĭr. Instead, he says, OB-GYNs simply use gestational age and trimesters to define when an abortion is being performed. Chasen, “It doesn’t have any clear meaning, and the term is used to deceive the public into thinking that abortions are generally performed much later than they are, even at 8 1/2 or 9 months. “‘Late-term abortion’ is not a term that is used by physicians who provide care for pregnant individuals,” says Dr.
While the phrase is widely used to argue against abortion rights by those without medical degrees, it’s actually not used within the health care community. You’ve probably heard the phrase “late-term abortion” used numerous times, likely from a politician, the media, or even someone you know (like your aunt during a passionate debate at your family’s Thanksgiving dinner table).
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