ABSTRACT Objective To conduct a pilot study evaluating the acceptability of pregnancy loss nomenclature among people with recent lived experience and make recommendations for UK mass communication. Design Electronic internet‐based questionnaire. Setting UK. Population or Sample Service users who accessed UK healthcare for > 1 experience(s) of pregnancy loss between 2021 and 2024 ( n = 391). Methods Descriptive and inferential statistics. Main Outcome Measures Acceptability ratings for pregnancy loss nomenclature used diagnostically in UK healthcare settings. Results Much nomenclature currently in use in UK pregnancy loss care was rated ‘unacceptable’ by a majority of study participants. Spontaneous abortion, incompetent cervix , and cervical incompetence were among the terminology rated as ‘unacceptable’ by > 80.0% of the respondents rating terms for the process of loss. In contrast, pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy were rated ‘acceptable’ by > 80.0% of respondents. As nomenclature for pregnancy loss outcomes, products, contents of the womb/uterus , and tissue were rated ‘unacceptable’ by > 80.0% of respondents. Baby and ‘their given name’ were rated ‘acceptable’ by > 80.0% of respondents across all gestational age brackets. Some terminology elicited mixed acceptability ratings. Conclusions Some pregnancy loss nomenclature attracted consensus acceptability or unacceptability ratings for respondents. The data inform evidence‐based recommended alternatives, which should be adopted for mass communications relating to pregnancy loss.
Malory et al. (2025) studied this question.