Glossary:

Abortion:

The ending of a pregnancy. Most references to abortion are referring to induced abortion, while spontaneous abortion is the medical term for miscarriage. 

Abortion Funds:

Groups and organizations that help people pay for an abortion they couldn't otherwise afford. Abortion funds may also offer help with transportation, lodging, childcare, and other resources people need to get a safe, legal abortion.

Abortion pill:

Technically two pills: mifepristone and misoprostol, which are used to safely end a pregnancy.

Anti’s:

Unfortunately, not your cool pro-abortion Auntie. The term “Anti” refers to anti-abortion folks. These people are opposed to the belief that people have the right to make their own choices about whether and when to have a child.

Aspiration Abortion:

A procedure that ends pregnancy by emptying the uterus with the gentle suction of a manual syringe or with machine-operated suction. Also called “in-clinic abortion” or “procedural abortion.”

Assigned female at birth/AFAB:

Someone whose assigned sex at birth was “female.”

Assigned male at birth/AMAB:

Someone whose assigned sex at birth was “male.”

Birth Control:

Any behavior, device, medicine, or procedure used to prevent pregnancy. Also known as contraception.

Body Autonomy:

Your ability to decide what happens to your body without outside influence or control. This can include being able to make decisions about your physical self and deciding what “healthy” looks like for you, free of influence from stereotypes, opinions, or rules of others.

Chemical Abortion:

The term chemical abortion is misleading, inaccurate, hurtful, and just not real. The correct term is "medication abortion”. Chemical abortion is a scare tactic used by anti-abortion activists in an attempt to stigmatize this carefully regulated medication. “Chemical” carries a negative connotation and completely ignores the fact that all medical treatments involve chemicals and compounds. It’s intended to mislead and scare people away from lifesaving healthcare.

Conception:

The beginning of pregnancy. The moment when the pre-embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus and pregnancy begins.

Contraception/contraceptive:

Any behavior, device, medication, or procedure used to prevent pregnancy. Also known as birth control. These include things like birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, and many others.

D&E:

Dilation & Evacuation is the use of suction and medical tools to remove tissue from the uterus during an abortion.

Doula:

A person who gives emotional support during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth and for some time after.

Late-term Abortion:

Let’s be clear: Late-term abortions are NOT a thing. Late-term is not a medical term for abortion. Anti’s like to use this to cause fear and alarm in people. But in reality the majority of abortions (93% or so) are performed within the first trimester– that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation, according to the CDC.

Medication Abortion:

The most common type of abortion. The use of a combination of drugs to end a pregnancy. Also called the “abortion pill.”

Mife & Miso:

The shortened names for the abortion pills.

Mife= Mifepristone.

Miso= Misoprostol.

Pregnant people:

Not all people who can become pregnant are women, and not all women can become pregnant! It’s important for us to remember that people of all gender expressions are capable of having abortions. Pregnant People is not a replacement for Women, if we know someone identifies as a woman, we will refer to them as such. However if we are uncertain of a persons or group’s identity, we prefer to use inclusive language.

Self-Managed Abortion/SMA:

The act of managing your own abortion in the safety and comfort of your place of choice. This is done via the medications: Mifepristone and Misoprostol. For more information on SMA, click here.

Unpregnant:

This term became necessary because many social media platforms hide or suppress content that uses the word “abortion.”