What is a Late-Term Abortion?
“Late-term” abortion is an imprecise term used to refer to abortions in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy or later. Some definitions limit the term to the third trimester or root it in the concept of viability, the stage of pregnancy where, on average, an unborn child can survive on his or her own outside the womb, albeit with medical support. Besides being specific to an individual baby’s overall physical condition, “viability” itself is a term whose application varies over time, occurring earlier in pregnancy as active treatment resources increase and medical technology and skills improve. However, “late-term abortion” is commonly understood to describe abortions after 20 weeks of gestation or five months of pregnancy, well past the point at which unborn babies can feel pain. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s abortion surveillance system categorizes abortions occurring from 21 weeks onward as its highest gestational age category, and the system does not distinguish abortions by week beyond 21 weeks.