Definitions & Terminology

Please find below a list of common terms and definitions related to abortion care.

You may find it useful to explore different terminology to find what feels comfortable for both you and your clients. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to mirror the language that a client uses to individualize their care.

Reproductive Justice

This term was coined in 1994 by the Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice (WADRJ) in Chicago. Reproductive justice is an intersectional, human rights-based framework that combines reproductive rights and social justice. It describes three main components: the right to have children; the right to not have children, and; the right to parent children in safe and sustainable communities (UBC, 2024).

Abortion / Therapeutic Abortion

An umbrella term describing the methods and or processes of intentionally ending a pregnancy. There are generally two types of abortion: medication abortion and procedural abortion. Other terms used to describe an abortion include: therapeutic abortion; induced abortion; elective abortion; termination of pregnancy; ending a pregnancy; completion of pregnancy; pregnancy release; pregnancy interruption; bringing on a period (SOGC, 2026a).

Abortion Care

Describes the provision of information, abortion services, and post-abortion care by a qualified care provider. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists comprehensive abortion care as an essential health care service. This care includes pre-abortion counselling and support, induced abortion (medication or procedural), care related to pregnancy loss, management of complications, and follow-up. Abortion care often includes a discussion of contraceptive options to prevent further pregnancies if that is what the client chooses (WHO, 2025).

Spontaneous Abortion

This is the clinical term used for pregnancy loss, commonly referred to as miscarriage. Medical abortion with Mifegymiso is an option for clients experiencing a “missed miscarriage,” where the pregnancy stops developing or the embryo dies but the body has not yet expelled the products of conception. Miscarriage is typically defined as the loss of a pregnancy in the first trimester, up until 12+6 weeks gestation, while losses between 13-20 weeks gestation are called second-trimester losses. Any loss beyond 20 weeks is medically categorized as a stillbirth (SOGC, 2026c).

Products of Conception (POC)

This is the clinical term used to describe the tissues of pregnancy, including the embryo or fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, and membranes. For clients choosing a medication abortion at home, discussing their plans for the POC ahead of time can be helpful - for example, some people choose to complete the abortion on the toilet and flush the products, while others choose to collect the products in a container to examine, bury, or dispose of in another way. Similarly for procedural abortion, the products can be sent to pathology, incinerated, or released to the client to take home (PILSC, 2026).

Medication / Medical / Pharmacologic Abortion

Sometimes referred to as the abortion pill, a medication abortion is carried out with a prescription medication called Mifegymiso, which combines the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. In BC, this type of abortion is available for 63 days from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP), which is equivalent to 9-10 weeks of pregnancy depending on cycle length. However, data supports the safe and effective use of medication abortion up to 70 days after the first day of the LMP. The cost of Mifegymiso is covered by the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP). Medication abortion is usually managed in an outpatient setting whereby the client can choose to take Mifegymiso at home with phone access to a care provider if needed (SOGC, 2026b).

Mifegymiso

Consists of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone is a progesterone receptor modulator and works by competitively binding to progesterone receptors, resulting in the breakdown of the uterine lining and the ripening of the cervix. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin and works by causing the uterine muscles to contract, further dilating the cervix, and shedding the endometrium. For a medication abortion, 200mg of mifepristone is taken orally first, followed by 800µg of misoprostol taken buccally 24-48 hours later. The average time for bleeding and completion of the pregnancy is 4-6 hours after taking the misoprostol tablets (SOGC, 2026b) (BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, 2026).

No-touch / Low-touch / Self-managed / At-home Abortion

These terms typically refer to a medication abortion where Mifegymiso is prescribed via Telehealth, and/or without in-person consultation and assessment (e.g., performing an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and its location). Usually a home urine bhCG and/or bloodwork are ordered. This approach to abortion mitigates several of the barriers and logistical challenges to accessing abortion services, particularly for clients in rural settings (SOGC, 2026b). Please see the SOGC’s Canadian Protocol for the Provision of Medical Abortion Via Telemedicine for more information.

Procedural / Surgical / Aspiration Abortion

Abortion carried out by a combination of cervical dilation and a method to remove the pregnancy from the uterus, typically by vacuum aspiration or curettage. In second trimester abortions, digoxin is a medication used to stop the fetal heart before the procedure. Depending on gestational age, mechanical dilation of the cervix is performed with laminaria, synthetic osmotic dilators, or sterile metal dilators. Procedural abortions are commonly referred to as Dilation and Curettage (D&C) or Dilation and Evacuation (D&E). D&E, aka vacuum aspiration, has been shown to cause less uterine trauma and is thus preferred over traditional curettage for most procedures. This type of abortion is performed by a qualified surgical care provider in a hospital or licensed clinic, and is available in BC up until 24+6 weeks gestation. However, in some cases procedural abortion may be possible at later gestations. Most procedures use conscious sedation and local anesthesia (SOGC, 2026a) (BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, 2026).