Abortion in the United States Virgin Islands
Abortion in the United States Virgin Islands is legal on request up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and afterwards only in cases that endanger the life or health of the mother. There are five clinics in the territory. Women travel from the British Virgin Islands for abortions because it is illegal there. Terminology. The abortion debate most commonly relates to the "induced abortion" of an embryo or fetus at some point in a pregnancy, which is also how the term is used in a legal sense. Some also use the term "elective abortion , which is used in relation to a claim to an unrestricted right of a woman to an abortion, whether or not she chooses to have one. The term elective abortion or voluntary abortion describes the interruption of pregnancy before viability at the request of the woman, but not for medical reasons. Anti-abortion advocates tend to use terms such as unborn baby", "unborn child", or "pre-born child", and see the medical terms "embryo", "zygote", and "fetus" as dehumanizing. Both "pro-choice" and "pro-life" are examples of terms labeled as political framing: they are terms which purposely try to  define their philosophies in the best possible light, while by definition attempting to describe their opposition in the worst possible light. "Pro-choice" implies that the alternative viewpoint is "anti-choice", while "pro-life" implies the alternative viewpoint is "pro-death" or "anti-life". The Associated Press encourages journalists to use the terms "abortion rights" and "anti-abortion". Legal status. Abortion is allowed in the United States Virgin Islands on request up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and afterwards only in cases that endanger the life or health of the mother. Abortion may only be performed by a licensed physician , and after 12 weeks of pregnancy only by a surgeon or gynecologist at a hospital. Abortion clinics. There are five abortion clinics in the U.S. Virgin Islands. One is in St. Thomas, one in St. Croix and three are in St. John. History. Women from the British Virgin Islands who need an abortion were traveling to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2016 to get an abortion because abortion is illegal in the British Virgin Islands. Pregnant women in the U.S. Virgin Islands were at risk of getting the Zika virus, which causes major fetal defects. These defects  can be so severe that they warrant terminating a pregnancy. Contraceptives. In 1994, the U.S. Virgin Islands included family planning services as part of their Medicaid program. These services included contraceptive services and supplies, and sterilizations.