abortion

Medically speaking, abortion is a broad term that means the termination of a pregnancy before fetal viability. It includes elective abortion, therapeutic abortion (termination of pregnancy due to fetal abnormality, fetal illness, or health/life of the mother), and spontaneous abortion (also called miscarriage). Abortion also includes removal of ectopic pregnancies.

Legally speaking, abortion is defined and regulated differently by each state and territory in the U.S. Some states restrict elective abortions with attempted carve outs for therapeutic abortions; other states restrict all types of elective and therapeutic abortions; some states allow all types of abortions; some states allow most abortions up to a certain number of weeks. The variation has swept up women who have both spontaneous abortions and need assistance removing the remaining products of conception; women whose lives are endangered by their pregnancies; and women who have ectopic pregnancies.

For people who oppose rights to elective and therapeutic abortions, the correct term/phrase is anti-abortion rights. Examples:

• The anti-abortion rights lobby is pressing the Arizona Republicans to vote against repealing the Civil War era law.
• The anti-abortion rights protesters attended the annual Right to Life March in Washington D.C.

For people who support rights to elective and therapeutic abortions, the correct term/phrase is pro-abortion rights. Examples:

• The pro-abortion rights protesters stood silently as anti-abortion rights counter-protesters hurled insults at them.
• The pro-abortion rights group gathered signatures to support the ballot amendment at the farmer’s market Saturday.