Why Miscarriage And Abortion Are Never Comparable, No Matter What Some Doctors And Activists Say

A young mother on Twitter recently opened up about the difficult times she and her husband have endured this year. @PetiteNicoco revealed that she was "undergoing fertility treatments to have another baby" and she became pregnant with a girl. Sadly, their daughter lost her heartbeat in May and died in the womb. She took to Twitter to share some of her experiences in the hopes that other moms who went through a similar experience wouldn't feel so alone.

"My HCG and progesterone are dropping but because they were very high it may take a few days for the process to begin," she wrote. "We never genetically tested our embryos, so it’s very likely a chromosome issue with the baby, which was always a risk. Most miscarriages, especially in the first trimester, are chromosome issues."

Many women (and men) chimed in to offer their condolences and share that they too have suffered miscarriages in the past. No matter how far along the mother was when she lost her baby, it was a tragic incident that left them feeling disoriented at best. The grieving process can look different for everyone. "I thought maybe I’d feel better if the embryo transfer hadn’t worked at all," @PetiteNicoco shared. "But looking back on it, I’m glad I got to carry my daughter even if it was only for a few weeks. I gave her a chance of life on earth, but the Lord has her now."

Any mother who has experienced this loss knows that it can be life-altering. That's why it's particularly insulting when progressive activists interject themselves into these conversations and insist that abortion is the same exact thing as a mother miscarrying. There are numerous tweets and videos online telling women that abortion and miscarriage have no differences, and this narrative is used to promote the idea that women should have the so-called choice to end the life of the baby in their womb if they so choose. This rhetoric ramped up significantly after Roe v. Wade was overturned in the summer of 2022. Activists were looking for any reason to make abortion seem like normal healthcare, the same kind of healthcare that would be offered to women who miscarried.

Miscarriage Is More Common Than You Think

Miscarriage, the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week, is a relatively common occurrence, yet it's often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding. Miscarriage is far more common than most people realize. According to the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to improving the health of mothers and babies, approximately 10-15% of all confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage. However, the actual number may be higher, considering many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman might not even know she's pregnant. Some statistics claim that up to 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

The risk of miscarriage varies based on a number of factors, including maternal age and health. For instance, women under the age of 35 have a 15% chance of miscarriage, while the risk increases to about 50% for women over the age of 45. Underlying health issues, like uncontrolled diabetes or problems with the uterus or cervix, can also increase the risk. Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester, within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. About 80% of all miscarriages happen during this period, commonly before the 7th or 8th week of pregnancy. Miscarriages in the second trimester, between weeks 13 and 20, are much less common, occurring in only about 1-5% of pregnancies.

The treatment for a miscarriage largely depends on the circumstances. In many cases, a miscarriage can be a process that the body handles naturally without requiring any medical intervention. This is often referred to as a "complete miscarriage," where the body expels all of the pregnancy tissue. However, in some instances, not all of the pregnancy tissue is expelled, a situation known as an "incomplete miscarriage." This can lead to complications, such as heavy bleeding or infection. In such cases, medical treatment becomes necessary.

Medical treatment for miscarriage can include medication to help the body expel the remaining tissue, a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove the remaining tissue, or, in some rare cases, surgery. The choice of treatment is typically based on the individual woman's health, the duration of the pregnancy, and the specific circumstances of the miscarriage.

Psychological support is also a vital aspect of miscarriage management. The emotional impact of a miscarriage can be profound, and women often need support to navigate their grief and loss. Counseling, peer support groups, online resources, and the help of family and friends can all provide comfort and understanding during this difficult time.

It's important to remind mothers that a single miscarriage does not necessarily indicate future fertility issues. Most women who have had a miscarriage go on to have successful pregnancies in the future. However, recurrent miscarriages, defined as three or more consecutive pregnancy losses, may warrant further investigation and treatment.

A Brief History of Abortion vs. Miscarriage

The shift in medical parlance from abortion to miscarriage to describe early pregnancy loss was a significant linguistic and cultural evolution in late 20th century Britain. While this development is often attributed to a more empathetic response from medical practitioners toward women’s experiences, the reality is more complex, underscoring legal, technological, and social changes.

The initiative for this change was taken by Richard Beard, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Mary’s Hospital, London. In a 1985 letter to the Lancet, he highlighted the lack of a clear distinction between "a spontaneous and an induced expulsion of the contents of the uterus in early pregnancy." This communication paved the way for the differentiation between "miscarriage" (spontaneous loss) and "abortion" (induced event).

The transition from abortion to miscarriage to describe early pregnancy loss represents a significant shift in the history of medical linguistics.

However, the adoption of this terminology in medical literature was not immediate. A comprehensive review of journals and textbooks revealed a gradual shift in the language used to describe early pregnancy loss. The British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, for example, showed a definitive switch from using abortion to miscarriage in article titles around 1986. The BMJ followed suit, with a slow decline in the usage of abortion from 1985 to 1995, and an eventual adoption of miscarriage henceforth.

In the Lancet, the shift was less conspicuous, but a clear divergence between the incidences of abortion and miscarriage can be observed after 1985. This change in terminology in these leading medical journals signified a broader shift in the discourse surrounding early pregnancy loss. Even with this gradual change, there was notable resistance. Some correspondents, replying to articles, continued to use abortion instead of miscarriage. Furthermore, medical journals were slow to acknowledge the changing linguistic landscape: the BMJ only included miscarriage in their index in 1978 and referred readers to abortion until 1999.

Notably, even as late as 1995, the authors of the Gynecology textbook, known as the Ten Teachers, stated that "the terms abortion and miscarriage are synonymous" and continued to use them interchangeably. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that miscarriage was better received when discussing spontaneous loss with women.

While it’s challenging to track the actual language used between doctors and patients, a letter to the BMJ in 1988 revealed that women preferred the term miscarriage to describe spontaneous loss. This suggests a growing social trend toward using miscarriage in more empathic medical care. The transition from abortion to miscarriage to describe early pregnancy loss represents a significant shift in the history of medical linguistics. This change was driven by various factors, ranging from legal to social, rather than being solely attributed to a more empathetic medical approach.

Still, Abortion As We Know It Today Should Never Be Compared to Miscarriage

When you learn more about the history of medical jargon and the distinction between miscarriage and abortion, you begin to understand why the terms are conflated in the medical field. Popular TikToker Shannon M. Clark, MD, FACOG, has more than half a million followers, and in October 2022, she explained the difference between induced abortion (termination of pregnancy), spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), and elective abortion (this term is no longer used). She walked through a lot of different medical jargon in order to argue that abortion is essential healthcare for women and that abortion is a human right. The comment section was full of progressives who commend her for her work and thanked her for breaking down this topic.

"And these nuances and complicated concepts are why these events should be managed and dealt with BY PREGNANT PEOPLE and MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS!" one person commented.

And so the god complex of doctors is further perpetuated. Yes, the medical jargon is messy and confusing for those of us who are not doctors. We can't decipher between the medical codes, the names of procedures, and the treatments that are offered to different women depending on their health and their needs. And yes, we can acknowledge that the history of the medical terms miscarriage and abortion is a little perplexing and sheds light on why a miscarriage is technically referred to as an abortion in a medical setting. However, none of this has anything to do with the basic objective morality that must be elicited when talking about the right to human life.

Medicine and science are not the end all be all. Progressives have long tried to convince people that "experts" always have the final answer. But no matter what kind of degrees a person has, they cannot alter objective morality—and they certainly can't alter the scientific fact that life begins at conception. They also can't diminish common sense, which tells us that there is a very, very big difference between a woman choosing to end the life of her child (and don't forget that 99.5% of abortions are elective, meaning almost every termination of pregnancy is done because the woman simply doesn't want the baby) and a woman losing her baby under tragic circumstances without her choice.

Even the states that have strict restrictions on abortion offer all the healthcare needs for women who suffer from miscarriage.

Regardless of what the medical history is of abortion vs miscarriage, it's positively insulting and morally bankrupt to try and compare a miscarriage to an abortion. Abortion as we know it today, no matter what it used to mean 100 years ago, is the intentional killing of human life in the womb. Miscarriage as we know it today, no matter what it used to mean 100 years ago, is an uncontrollable loss of human life in the womb. Mothers who have lost their precious child during pregnancy know that it can be a harrowing process that results in grief, despair, and indescribable sadness. Pro-abortion activists want to selfishly and cruelly diminish this tragedy for political gain.

"It used to bother me when people would conflate miscarriage and abortion, but after suffering thru a miscarriage for a baby that was very much wanted, it enrages me in a way I can’t explain. I refuse to believe people don’t understand the difference. They are just evil," @PetiteNicoco tweeted on May 30.

People do in fact know the difference, including doctors. They may refer to the history of medical jargon and use a play on words in order to intentionally muddy the waters and advocate for on-demand abortion access, but at the end of the day, pure common sense has always told us that a woman choosing to end the life of her baby in the womb is not comparable whatsoever to a woman's miscarriage. Anyone who tries to conflate the two simply because the two situations may involve the same medical procedure is either intellectually dishonest or downright evil.

It's also important to note that even the states that have strict restrictions on abortion offer all the healthcare needs for women who suffer from miscarriage. It's a complete fabrication to say that women won't have medical care if they are suffering from a miscarriage; anyone who says this is peddling a lie for their political agenda.

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