In the world of medical care, the word "abortion" has a simple and straightforward meaning. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, induced abortion "ends a pregnancy with medication or a medical procedure." When states ban abortion, that is what they are banning: Medication or medical procedures that end pregnancies that don't result in a live birth. Now that the horror stories are quickly piling up that illustrate the high human cost of abortion bans, Republicans are getting rather, um, playful about what they do or don't consider an abortion.
In the text of the bans that are being passed or reinstated now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, "abortion" is generally understood as a medical intervention to terminate pregnancy. But when trying to bamboozle the public, Republicans suddenly start pretending all sorts of abortions aren't actually abortions.
