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Later Abortion Initiative

A project of Ibis Reproductive Health

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About the Initiative

The Later Abortion Initiative (LAI), a project of Ibis Reproductive Health, will change the conversation around later abortion and the women who need this service. LAI particularly focuses on the increased stigma, challenges and barriers for women who need abortions after 18 weeks.

A note on terminology and “late-term abortion”

The terminology used to discuss abortions after the first trimester varies enormously. There is no agreement in the law or in the medical community about what constitutes the limit of the second trimester, for example. In scholarly journals, these abortions are variously referred to as “mid-trimester abortion,” “second-trimester abortion” (which is used to describe abortions up to 24 weeks or up to 27 weeks, depending on the writer or the state law) and late abortion. Within the mainstream media, the phrase “late-term abortion” is often used in articles about abortion policy and advocacy. These competing terms do not provide accurate clinical descriptions or contribute to public knowledge about abortion care and the differences at various stages of gestation. It is for this reason that we do not use the phrase “late-term abortion” here, and recommend against its use. Instead, we use and recommend the phrase “later abortion” to identify any pregnancy termination after 18 weeks of gestational age.

Later Abortion Initiative
Ibis Reproductive Health
lai@ibisreproductivehealth.org