{"id":269531,"date":"2022-06-07T12:39:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T17:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=269531"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:40:51","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T20:40:51","slug":"support-abortion-save-womans-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/support-abortion-save-womans-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Definitions matter: Is an ‘abortion to save a woman’s life’ truly an abortion?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade<\/em> in the coming weeks, confusion has sprung up in abortion-related conversations about what a post-Roe<\/em> world would look like. Abortion enthusiasts are taking advantage of that confusion by misleading compassionate Americans on what the end of Roe<\/em> would mean for women facing pregnancy-related complications. The truth is that even if abortion were completely outlawed across the nation (which would not<\/em> happen if Roe<\/em> is overturned), women would still receive life-saving treatment for pregnancy-related complications because the medical definitions of abortion and the legal definitions of abortion have one major difference.<\/p>\n

Key takeaways<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Medically speaking, abortion is the “termination of a pregnancy” or “expulsion of a human fetus”<\/li>\n
  • Legally speaking, abortion is the “act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death<\/strong> of an unborn child”<\/li>\n
  • No laws banning or restricting abortion would ban surgery for ectopic pregnancy, preterm induced delivery, or emergency C-sections<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Medical definition of abortion<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Medically speaking \u2014 and as far as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary<\/a> is concerned \u2014 abortion is “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus: such as a: spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation, b: induced expulsion of a human fetus.”<\/p>\n

    Medline Plus defines<\/a>\u00a0abortion as “a procedure to end a pregnancy. It uses medicine or surgery to remove the embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus.” And Harvard Health’s extremely anti-scientific definition says, “Abortion is the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus.”<\/p>\n

    In other words, even natural miscarriage<\/em> is classified as a ‘spontaneous abortion’ under these definitions; induced delivery could also be. This unfortunate and inaccurate labeling is what makes so many good and caring Americans believe they must support legalized abortion, or believe they have actually had<\/em> an abortion when in reality, they’ve simply been treated for a natural miscarriage. All of this confusion allows the abortion lobby to gain support for legalized abortion.<\/p>\n

    Legal definition of abortion<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Laws concerning the restriction of abortion aren’t referring to strictly the removal<\/em> of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, but rather to a procedure or drug cocktail that is being used specifically to end the life<\/em> of the preborn child prior to or while removing him or her from the mother’s uterus. Legally speaking, criminalizing abortion would make it illegal to\u00a0intentionally and directly cause the death<\/em> of the living preborn human embryo or fetus. In addition, nearly every pro-life law carries an exception for cases in which the mother’s life is considered to be at risk. That exception acts as a loophole, since Roe<\/em>‘s sister case Doe v. Bolton<\/em> determined that “health” includes mental health as well as financial and familial health. It’s also entirely unnecessary<\/em>, as procedures that save the life of a mother (like those for ectopic pregnancy) are not even considered abortions<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    The pro-abortion American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) knows the difference. On its website (see screenshots below), the abortion-friendly organization defines an “induced abortion” as “an intervention to end a pregnancy so that it does not result in a live birth.” The intent of an induced abortion — what pro-life laws ban or restrict — is to ensure the undelivered baby dies before he is delivered.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"

    ACOG website screenshot 7\/20\/22<\/p><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"

    ACOG website abortion definition screenshot 7\/20\/22<\/p><\/div>\n

    What it comes down to is this: Medically speaking, the term ‘abortion’ refers to ending a pregnancy<\/em>\u00a0(remember, this medical term even includes natural miscarriage). But legally speaking, the term ‘abortion’ refers to an intentional act that\u00a0ends the life of a preborn human being<\/em>. The difference in these definitions has led to confusion. What this means is that only intentional acts meant to end the life of a preborn child<\/em> would be outlawed in certain states if Roe<\/em> is overturned. Treating miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, etc. \u2014 which do not<\/em> intentionally end the life of a preborn child \u2014\u00a0would remain completely legal.<\/p>\n

    Let’s take a look at some of the legal wording in state legislation to see how it defines abortion as an intentional act that causes the death of a preborn child. The Mississippi Gestational Age Act<\/a>, which is at the center of the Supreme Court case that may overturn Roe<\/em> (Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization<\/em>), states:<\/p>\n

    “Abortion” means the use or prescription of an instrument, medicine, drug, or other substance or device with the intent to terminate<\/strong> a clinically diagnosable pregnancy for reasons other than<\/strong> to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the unborn human being, to terminate an ectopic pregnancy, or to remove a dead unborn human being. (emphasis added)<\/em><\/p>\n

    Likewise, Florida, which has a new law protecting preborn children after 15 weeks beginning on July 1, defines abortion<\/a> as “the termination of human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus<\/strong>.” (emphasis added)<\/p>\n