TOP TAKE-AWAYS: WHAT ARE EUPHEMISMS AND HOW DO THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURE OF SILENCE?

A euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

Examples: 
“Down there” = Vagina
“Lady Parts” / “Backside” = Vagina/Buttocks 
“That time of the month” or “Aunt Flo”= Menstrual Cycle
“Change of life” or “The change” = Menopause
“Miss” = Miscarriage 

Euphemisms have become heavily imbedded in our culture. They are often overlooked because of how normalized they have become. They are so common that we are oblivious to their use in everyday language. 

TOP TAKE-AWAYS: CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BREAKING THE SILENCE

Why is it that miscarriages are rarely ever talked about? It seems as though we only hear about them when it happens to someone close to us. Even then, the individuals who experience this tragedy often feel silenced. 

In this article, Layne (1997) shared her personal story of miscarriage. Just like any woman trying to conceive, Layne and her husband rejoiced as they discovered that they would soon become parents. After her thirteenth week of pregnancy, Layne began to have complications. She started cramping, spotting and soon began to bleed profusely. She called her birthing center and they directed her to contact the emergency room. Layne was not happy when she found out that no one from the birthing center would accompany her after promising that they would be by her side if anything were to go wrong. She claims that she “wrongly assumed their principle of care.” Despite their lack of support, her husband rushed her to the ER where she found out that she would be going home without her baby.

TOP TAKE-AWAYS: RISK OF MISCARRIAGE AFTER AMNIOCENTESIS: FACTS AND PERCEPTIONS

Amniocentesis, the sampling of amniotic fluid using a hollow needle inserted into the uterus, is the most common invasive procedure used to diagnose genetic conditions prenatally (Eddleman et al., 2006).

When faced with the decision of whether to undergo amniocentesis, most women experience some anxiety around making that decision.  This is likely because there is well-documented risk of miscarriage associated with the procedure.

What the exact rate of risk is varies a bit among investigators and organizations.  The CDC released a statement that the risk of miscarriage is between .25 and .5%, or  1 in 200.  In 2006, the First and Second Trimester Evaluation of Risk (FASTER) trial calculated the risk of miscarriage after amniocentesis to be 1/1600 or 0.006% higher than for those who did not undergo amniocentesis (Eddleman et al., 2006).  In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published the rate of miscarriage associated with amniocentesis as 1/300-1/500.  In all, these risks are very low.