‘Miscarriage or abortion?’ Understanding the medical language of pregnancy loss in Britain; a historical perspective
Open accessAbstract
Clinical language applied to early pregnancy loss changed in late twentieth century Britain when doctors consciously began using the term ‘miscarriage’ instead of ‘abortion’ to refer to this subject. Medical professionals at the time and since have claimed this change as an intuitive empathic response to women's experiences. However, a reading of medical journals and textbooks from the era reveals how the change in clinical language reflected legal, technological, professional and social developments. The shift in language is better understood in the context of these historical developments, rather than as the consequence of more empathic medical care for women who experience miscarriage.
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Influenced by women's support groups and feminist commentators, the term 'miscarriage' has become commonly used.
“Influenced by women’s support groups and feminist commentators, the term ‘miscarriage’ has become commonly used.6”
From Parents’ experiences of care following the loss of a baby at the margins between miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death: a UK qualitative study (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
In “A woman-centred approach” (page unavailable), Moscrop describes the Miscarriage Association’s advocacy and says feminist commentators’ preference for “miscarriage” was echoed in a doctor’s call to change terminology. “Terminology in medical journals and textbooks” documents a gradual shift in usage. The paper suggests, rather than establishes, that these developments influenced the shift, so the citing sentence states that link more firmly than the source does. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIt will take more than words to truly improve patients' experiences and the use of the 'correct terminology' may make some health professionals complacent in their provision of care.
“However, ‘it will take more than words to truly improve patients’ experiences’6 and the use of the ‘correct terminology’ may make some health professionals complacent in their provision of care.17”
From Parents’ experiences of care following the loss of a baby at the margins between miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death: a UK qualitative study (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
The impact and importance of terminology following pregnancy loss is not new.
“The impact and importance of terminology following pregnancy loss is not new.”
From Parents’ experiences of care following the loss of a baby at the margins between miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death: a UK qualitative study (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
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- [27]Everett C Ashurst H Chalmers I Reported management of threatened miscarriage by general practitioners in Wessex. BMJ 1987; 295: 583– 6 3117244 PMC1248752
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Smith, L., Dickens, J., Bender Atik, R., Bevan, C., Fisher, J., & Hinton, L. (2020) · BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16113 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Sunshine”, “angels” and “rainbows”: Language developed by mothers bereaved by perinatal loss
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- Authors
- Moscrop, A.
- Corresponding author
- Moscrop, Andrew
- ORCID
- Moscrop, Andrew
- Venue
- Medical Humanities
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2013-02-21
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 98-104
- ISSN
- 1468-215X (ISSN-L)
- 1473-4265
- PMC
- PMC3841747
- OpenAlex
- W2164250194
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 74
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 21.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Medical Humanities (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (ACF-2007-13-009)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Medical History and Innovations
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › History of Science and Medicine
- Keywords
- miscarriage, abortion, medical terminology, clinical language, history of medicine, medical ethics, legal history, women's health, empathy in medicine, twentieth-century Britain
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Spontaneous, Empathy, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Language, Terminology as Topic, Pregnancy, Women, History, 20th Century
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