Question

A young woman in her first trimester of pregnancy goes to her doctor after experiencing heavy

bleeding. After examining the woman and finding that she has miscarried, the doctor states that she
has had a "spontaneous abortion. The young woman becomes very upset because her family
believes that abortion is a sin. Explain the breakdown in communication that has occurred and how
it could be corrected.

Answer 1

The doctor used a very sensitive and contradicting choice of words. He/she referred to the miscarriage as a spontaneous abortion in a medical sense, but instead of having used those words, the doctor should have directly told the woman that she had suffered a miscarriage. To correct this, the doctor should explain to the woman about what he/she actually meant by the words “spontaneous abortion” and assure her that what happened wasn’t a sin; the doctor must clarify that this wasn’t the typical abortion that the woman and her family would consider a sin.