Fact check: Are late-term abortions ever ‘medically necessary’?

A US post on Threads claimed that abortion is never medically necessary in the last trimester. But is that true?

Healthcare is considered “medically necessary” when it is required to maintain or restore a patient’s health. And, despite posts on social media claiming otherwise, abortion can fall into that category in emergency situations – even in the third trimester.

“Abortion is never medically necessary in the last trimester. Literally never. They just do a c-section,” a November 6 Threads (part of social media platform Instagram) post stated.

The post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

There are situations in which abortion would be medically necessary to preserve a woman’s health or save her life in any trimester, doctors and reproductive health experts say.

Obstetrics and gynaecology (OB-GYN) experts told us the claim misunderstands how and when caesarean sections are used in abortion procedures, while oversimplifying the many complex conditions and interventions that can accompany pregnancy.