Despite not being a real thing, the phrase “late-term abortion” has made its way into public discourse once again. Not only did the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump include a very misinformed discussion about “late-term abortions” before Roe v. Wade was overturned. But more recently, the Republican Party adopted a “Make America Great Again” policy platform ahead of its national convention that stated in a 16-page document the party will oppose "late-term abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”
This isn’t the first time anti-abortion advocates have made it seem as if abortions were happening well into the third trimester of pregnancy or after an infant has been born. But the fact remains that “late-term abortion” is nothing more than a made-up phrase that has no basis in medicine. And when politicians perpetuate this term and the made-up idea it only further harms pregnant people in America who choose to terminate their pregnancies at later gestational ages.
