Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Special Statement: A critical examination of abortion terminology as it relates to access and quality of care

“Technically an abortion”: Understanding perceptions and definitions of abortion in the United States

“…Furthermore, these results highlight how the conceptualization of a natural/unnatural paradigm can shape the real or anticipated stigma people may experience when deciding to seek care. This can shape whether they seek care at all, where they seek care, and their ability to discuss their experience with their support networks and community ( Heuser et al, 2023 ).…”

Threatened Periviable Delivery and Abortion: Clinical Considerations

“…A patient centered, nuanced and individualized approach is ultimately most respectful of the families who bear the burden of these difficult circumstances. 2 According to the ACOG, viability as a medical concept has been poorly understood and misrepresented. The term has been used in legal and political spheres and applied broadly without nuance or deference to medical evidence.…”

“…For this reason, a recent statement by the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) identified that neither a specific gestational age nor “viability” in the legal sense can adequately capture the chance of survival for any fetus. A patient centered, nuanced and individualized approach is ultimately most respectful of the families who bear the burden of these difficult circumstances 2 …”