The fight for reproductive rights isn’t just happening in courts, legislatures, and clinics: it’s happening in the words we use every day and on social media. Anti-rights groups know that language shapes perceptions, and they have spent decades strategically shifting the narrative.
We see this in their calculated choice of words. Faith-based organisations try to call a foetus 'unborn', and now are even trying to call them 'pre-born ', framing a foetus as an already fully formed ‘person’ rather than a developing pregnancy. The term “heartbeat bill” falsely implies the presence of a functioning heart just weeks after conception. Anti-abortion groups set up centres which manipulate and mislead women, and brand them as 'crisis pregnancy centres. This disguises their true intent - manipulating and misleading pregnant people into carrying pregnancies against their will. These aren’t just semantic games; they are deliberate strategies designed to control public opinion, stir emotion, and chip away at reproductive rights.
Reframing is one of the most powerful tools we have. Anti-choice movements have nefariously hijacked terms like “life” and “choice,” but we must reclaim them with accuracy and power.
When we talk about “life,”, we’re talking about the lives of real, living people who can become pregnant and who deserve the right to decide their futures. The ability to choose when or if to have children is fundamental to living a full and self-determined life. It’s about economic stability, health, safety, and autonomy.
when
Subject
Abortion Care
And let’s not forget the reality of unsafe abortions. The World Health Organization reports that 47,000 women die each year from complications stemming from unsafe abortions. That’s 47,000 deaths directly linked to a lack of access. Where is the “pro-life” agenda in that?
Anti-choice groups deliberately ignores the consequences of forced pregnancy. Research proves that being denied an abortion increases the likelihood of slipping into poverty, suffering long-term health complications, and experiencing domestic violence. The Turnaway Study found that a woman denied abortion care faces significantly worse economic and health outcomes than those who are able to access care. That’s not “pro-life”, it’s forced suffering.
And let’s not forget the reality of unsafe abortions. The World Health Organization reports that 47,000 women die each year from complications stemming from unsafe abortions. That’s 47,000 deaths directly linked to a lack of access. Where is the “pro-life” agenda in that?
The battle for reproductive rights is also a battle for language. We must reject terms like “pre-born” that strip pregnant people of their agency. We must challenge the idea that “life” applies only to a pregnancy while ignoring the person carrying it. We must expose the deception behind anti-choice messaging and replace it with a bold, unapologetic commitment to reproductive justice.
Our movement has been successful in advocating for sexual and reproductive rights and care all over the world, which anti-choice groups are trying to stop.
Reclaiming language means shifting the focus back to reality: true respect for life means trusting people to make their own decisions, free from coercion and misinformation.
This is our call to action. We must counteract the anti-choice movement’s linguistic manipulation at every turn. We must use words that reflect the truth, that centre lived realities, and that reaffirm the right to autonomy and dignity.
Reclaiming language means shifting the focus back to reality: true respect for life means trusting people to make their own decisions, free from coercion and misinformation.
Learn more about the #WordsToWin Campaign here.
Abortion saves lives
IPPF