TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
This may not be true in the US, but here in the UK, in the medical
world, 'abortion' refers to the premature ending of a pregnancy,
whether natural or not. The correct work for the surgical or medical
ending of a pregnancy is a 'termination'.
Given this fact, why is it that people have so much difficulty with
the word 'abort' (after all, about 30% of pregnancies naturally end
that way) yet seem happy with 'terminate'?
Are these words used the other way round by the US medical profession?
Nope. They're used exactly the same way here -- but only doctors and
healthcare workers use them that way. "Miscarriage" is the common term for a
spontaneous abortion, and of course "abortion" is the common word for a
medical procedure terminating pregnancy.
Misti Tucker
Technical Communication mta -at- cyberspace -dot- org (h)
& Help System Design mtucker2 -at- e-mail -dot- com (w)
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
