![]() ![]() Some fetal development problems or genetic anomalies do not show up or develop until later in pregnancy. Levy: Abortions later in pregnancy typically occur because of two general indications: lethal fetal anomalies or threats to the health of the mother. Rather, it’s the rare case of rapidly decompensating maternal heart disease or a delayed diagnosis of anencephaly, where the fetus forms without a complete brain or skull, that bring people to these decisions. It’s this exact reason that it’s nonsensical to legislate these cases: Nobody arrives at the decision to have an abortion after 24 weeks carelessly. Those exceptionally rare cases that happen after 24 weeks are often because a fetus has a condition that cannot be treated and will never be able to survive – regardless of the gestational age or trimester. These are their storiesĬonti: There are many reasons why women may need to access abortion later in pregnancy, including maternal health endangerment, diagnosis of fetal abnormalities or restrictive laws delaying earlier access to abortion care. They had abortions late in their pregnancies. This means that abortions that occur beyond 24 weeks make up less than 1% of all procedures.ĬNN: Can you explain why abortions happen later in a pregnancy? Levy: Generally, abortion later in pregnancy refers to abortion that happens at 21 weeks or later, so in the second or third trimester.ĬNN: How common or uncommon are abortions at this stage of pregnancy?Ĭonti: According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, abortions after 21 weeks make up less than 1.3% of all abortions in the United States. The appropriate language is “abortions later in pregnancy.”ĬNN: When people speak about abortion later in pregnancy, are they referring to abortion in the third trimester or something else? “Late term” is an invention of anti-abortion extremists to confuse, mislead and increase stigma. Jennifer Conti: In obstetrics, we don’t divide pregnancies into terms. ![]() Abortions do not occur in this time period, so the phrase is contradictory.ĭr. ![]() In pregnancy, to be “late term” means to be past 41 weeks gestation, or past a patient’s due date. In science and medicine, it’s essential to use language precisely. Barbara Levy: The phrase “late-term abortion” is medically inaccurate and has no clinical meaning. Virginia governor faces backlash over comments supporting late-term abortion billĭr. Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/Getty Images Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam in October 2017. Jennifer Conti, is an assistant professor at Stanford Medicine, a fellow with the advocacy group Physicians for Reproductive Health and co-host of The V Word podcast.ĬNN: What does the phrase “late-term abortion” mean to you? Barbara Levy is vice president of health policy at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization, and Dr. ![]() But what exactly does this language mean?ĬNN spoke earlier this year with two ob-gyns and asked them to explain. It peppered conversations, fueled social media battles and inspired Trump’s rhetoric. With New York’s passage of a new Reproductive Health Act and Northam’s voiced support of a measure that would loosen restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy, the phrase “late-term abortion” began making headlines. Ralph Northam “would execute a baby after birth.” Trump’s contention that babies can be killed after birth is one he referenced in his State of the Union address earlier this year, when he called on Congress “to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children.” He said this right after he first accused New York lawmakers of cheering for “legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth” and then said Virginia Gov. Trump offers incendiary falsehood on abortion at Wisconsin rally (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a Make America Great Again rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, April 27, 2019. ![]()
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