Terminology In Abortion

A major aspect of the debate over abortion concerns the use of terminology. In keeping with Just Facts' Standards of Credibility, this research uses language that is clear and precise. Thus, phrases such as "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are replaced by words that articulate specific positions. Perhaps the largest point of contention involving terminology is the label applied to what or who is being aborted. Those who think abortion should be generally illegal often use the terms "unborn child" and "unborn baby." According to Webster's College Dictionary and Black's Medical Dictionary, the word "child" can apply prior to birth, but both of these sources employ the word "baby" only from the point of birth onwards. In contrast, those who think abortion should be generally legal often use the word "fetus," a clinical term derived from a Latin word meaning "offspring" or "newly delivered."
And so we need to make it clear that abortions are not about fetuses or embryos. Nor are they about babies, except insofar as they enable women to make sound decisions about if or when to have them. They’re about women: their choices, health, and their own moral value. It might sound far-fetched to suggest that the public debate about reproduction could ever sound this sensible. But there have been times in our history when it did even when and sometimes because women had far fewer rights and freedoms than they do