Language matters - here's why

Here at Abortion Talk, we’re passionate about reducing the stigma around abortion and one of the most powerful ways we can do that is with the language we use. The people we hear from  every day tell us of the lasting impact words have on them. As self-confessed abortion nerds, we’ve given a lot of thought to this and want to share some of these with you. We hope they’re helpful and you’re inspired to think about the language you use and tell others about it too. Here are our top tips on using stigma-busting language.

1. Start with value-neutral language…

Let’s begin with the word “baby”. What’s wrong with that, you might ask? We prefer pregnancy, fetus or embryo (in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy). These are factual descriptions that don’t presume whether a pregnancy will continue, or end in an abortion. Likewise “mother” can be substituted with pregnant woman or pregnant person (because let’s not forget, trans people have abortions too) and father with “the person you got pregnant with”. These words and phrases might feel a little stilted to start with but soon they’ll be tripping off the tongue!

2. …but take your lead from the person you’re speaking with. 

There are some exceptions to the recommendations above.. Our friends at ARC tell us that when ending a wanted pregnancy due to a prenatal diagnosis, people prefer to say baby, mother and father. And people with unwanted pregnancies may still prefer these words. Listen out and adapt accordingly. 

3. Beware the euphemism and the jargon.

Termination - are we talking about an employment contract here? Interruption of the pregnancy - interrupted like a train timetable? And what even is a ToP? These words and phrases have come about because of the stigma associated with the word abortion. Abortion is the medically accurate term and the one which is used in the law and by the majority of abortion providers. 

4. And some phrases just give us the ick. 

“Social abortion”? No thanks. This reinforces the idea that there are good abortions (for medical reasons) and bad abortions (where someone is pregnant, and doesn’t want to be). We believe there are no good or bad abortions. Just abortions.  “Repeat Abortion”? Might as well say “repeat offender”. Try “more than one abortion”, because people have them, for lots of reasons. And let’s not even go there on “unborn child” - a term coined by the anti-abortion movement. 

This is just a taster of what’s included in our brand new Abortion Language Guide. It’s been created in partnership with Doctors for Choice UK and the British Society of Abortion Care Providers. It’s aimed at healthcare providers but it’s useful for anyone who finds themself talking about abortion, in any circumstance. If  you’d like to know more, download it, print it, stick it on your bedroom wall?! And above all, keep talking about abortion. 

Jayne Kavanagh is an associate professor at UCL Medical School and a specialty doctor in Homerton Abortion Care Service. She is co-chair of Doctors for Choice UK and co-founder of Abortion Talk. Jayne is passionate about improving abortion education for healthcare students and about destigmatising abortion. She produced and co-directed Kind to Women, a short documentary film about the 1967 Abortion Act. 

Susie Corfield is Abortion Talk's Executive Director. She's been busting stigma for over 20 years by sharing her own experience of stigmatising abortion care. She is proudest of being called an irresponsible woman by Nadine Dorries late one night on Radio 5 Live.