Abortion:
The removal of pregnancy tissue, including embryonic or fetal tissue, the placenta, and other products of conception from the uterus.
Spontaneous Abortion:
Also called a “miscarriage”, a spontaneous abortion is the medical term for the body ridding itself of pregnancy tissue with no outside influence. The opposite of an induced abortion.
Surgical Abortion:
An in-clinic medical procedure that involves the use of physical instruments to manually dilate the cervix and remove the contents of the uterus. Depending on gestational age and other potential complications, this may be a vacuum aspiration, a D&C, or a D&E procedure.
Medication Abortion:
Also called a “chemical abortion”, this is when medicines, typically a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol are used to induce an abortion without the use of external tools.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers:
Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) are anti-abortion fake clinics that engage in manipulative tactics to prevent people from making informed choices about their reproductive and sexual health. CPCs target vulnerable patients with misleading advertisements and medically inaccurate information.
Dilation and Curettage (D&C):
In this procedure, the cervix is widened so the abnormal tissues can be removed from the endometrial lining by a scraping tool, a curette. This is the abortion procedure used to remove additional tissue following a miscarriage.
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E):
Between 13 to 24 weeks of gestation, dilation and evacuation (D&E) is a surgical abortion that utilizes vacuum aspiration. IT is also the procedure used to remove additional tissue following a miscarriage.
Gestation:
The process or period of developing inside the womb between conception and birth.
Health Care:
According to The American Medical Association, health care is a fundamental human good that affects our opportunities to pursue life goals, reduces our pain and suffering, helps prevent premature loss life, and provides information needed to plan for our lives.
Basic health care:
- is transparent.
- strives to include input from all stakeholders, including the public throughout the process.
- protects the most vulnerable patients and populations, with special attention to historically disadvantaged groups.
- Considers best available scientific data about the efficacy and safety of health care services.
- seeks to improve health outcomes to the greatest extent possible, in keeping with principles of wise stewardship
- monitors for variations in care that cannot be explained on medical grounds to ensure that the defined threshold of basic care does not have discriminatory impact.
- provides for ongoing review and adjustment in consideration of innovation in medical science and practice to ensue continued, broad public support for the defined threshold of basic care.
Induced Abortion:
Induced abortion is the surgical termination of pregnancy, for any reason.
Medicaid:
Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements. The program is funded jointly by states and the federal government.
Mifepristone:
One of two medications typically used for a medication abortion, mifepristone works in
the body to block one of the hormones (progesterone) necessary to sustain a pregnancy.
Misoprostol:
The second medication typically taken in a medication abortion a few days after mifepristone, misoprostol softens the
cervix and encourages contractions.
Miscarriage:
A spontaneous loss of a pregnancy prior to the 20-week time stamp.
Senate Bill 20:
Senate Bill 20, also known as SB-20, is a bill in North Carolina that bans abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy with narrow exceptions. This will go into effect on July 1st, 2023.
Viability:
Viability refers to a fetus’ ability to survive if removed from the uterus. Typically, with extreme medical care, a fetus is viable at 24 weeks.
