Fertility, Pregnancy & Birth, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 2, 2022

Texas woman gives birth to rare set of twins conceived one week apart. How is this possible?

In an extremely rare case, a Texas woman became pregnant while already pregnant and ultimately gave birth to twins who had been conceived roughly one week apart, according to news reports. The 30-year-old woman, named Cara Winhold, initially learned she was pregnant in March 2021, and when she received an...

Jul 10, 2022

Are 'home remedies' for abortion safe? (Experts say no.)

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24, 2022, decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, people promptly turned to the internet to search for and share home remedies for abortion. While some of the trending remedies are relatively harmless, albeit ineffective, others can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening, experts told...

Aug 2, 2022

What's the youngest age that a person can get pregnant and give birth?

Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, news outlets reported the story of a pregnant 10-year-old girl who had to travel from Ohio to Indiana to access abortion care. The story highlighted how young victims of rape will...

Aug 3, 2022

Do Fetuses Feel Pain? What the Science Says

Editor's note: As of August 3, 2022, Utah has begun to enforce its 18 week ban on abortion and attempted to enforce its trigger ban to prohibit abortion entirely. This is following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, thus eliminating the constitutional right...

Aug 3, 2022

What is an abortion?

An abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy, which can happen spontaneously, as in the case of a miscarriage, or can happen when the pregnancy is ended by medical or surgical means. In these latter cases, the abortion method depends on the stage of pregnancy, among other factors. On...

Aug 4, 2022

Is a 'fetal heartbeat' really a heartbeat at 6 weeks?

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 17, 2019 and updated on Sept 1, 2021, before the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, thus eliminating the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. Therefore, the legal information in this article may no...

Aug 4, 2022

5 Fascinating Facts About Fetal Ultrasounds

For most women today, it's hard to imagine going through a pregnancy without having an ultrasound. But these iconic black-and-white images of a developing fetus, generated by the reflection of high frequency sound waves, have only been around since the mid-1950s. A new book explores the history of ultrasounds, in...

Aug 4, 2022

Most Americans Believe Miscarriage Myths

Miscarriages are common, but the majority of Americans still think they occur rarely, a new survey finds. The nationwide online survey found that 55 percent of people in the United States believe that miscarriage happens in 5 percent or less of all pregnancies. But in reality, miscarriages end 15 to...

Aug 4, 2022

Study Reveals Who Gets Late-Term Abortions

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 16, 2011, before the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, thus eliminating the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. Any legal information in this article may no longer be accurate. ABORTION GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT...

Aug 4, 2022

Abortion Debate: Little Evidence Sonograms Change Minds, Doctors Say

Editor's note: As of August 4, 2022, pre-Roe abortion bans can be enforced in Texas, although this doesn't allow prosecutors to bring criminal charges against providers. A trigger law that bans abortion will take affect in two months. This is following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade...

Aug 4, 2022

'Abortion Pill' Gets New Label: 5 Things to Know About Mifepristone

Editor's note: As of August 4, 2022, the constitutional right to abortion has been eliminated in the U.S, following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. The following article was published on March 30, 2016, and therefore any legal information regarding abortion laws in...

Aug 4, 2022

Why Women Choose Abortion

Understanding why a woman gets an abortion may help to prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place, say scientists who have dug into this complex, and often controversial, matter. Their new research suggests a not-insignificant percentage of abortion-seeking women are in the midst of a disruptive life event, such as...

Aug 4, 2022

Free Birth Control Cuts Abortion Rate by 62 Percent

Editor's note: As of August 4, 2022, the constitutional right to abortion has been eliminated in the U.S. This is following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. The following article was published on Oct 4, 2012, and therefore any legal information regarding abortion...

Aug 4, 2022

1st synthetic mouse embryos — complete with beating hearts and brains — created with no sperm, eggs or womb

For the first time, scientists have created mouse embryos in the lab without using any eggs or sperm and watched them grow outside the womb. To achieve this feat, the researchers used only stem cells and a spinning device filled with shiny glass vials. The experiment is a game changer,...

Aug 5, 2022

Fact-Checking Trump: Can Abortions Really Happen on the 'Final Day' of Pregnancy?

Editor's note: As of August 5, 2022, the constitutional right to abortion has been eliminated in the U.S., following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. The following article was published on Oct 20, 2016, and therefore any legal information is longer accurate. At...