South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Subchapter 61-12 - STANDARDS FOR LICENSING ABORTION CLINICS
Part I - DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE
Section 61-12.I.101 - Definitions

A. Abortion. The use of an instrument, medicine, drug, or other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman, known to be pregnant, for reasons other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus.

B. Abortion Clinic. Any facility, other than a hospital as defined in Section101.J, in which any second trimester or five or more first trimester abortions per month are performed.

C. Allied Health Professional. A person other than a physician who possesses specialized training and skill acquired by completing certain courses of study or intensive job-related training and, where applicable, has been duly licensed or registered by appropriate licensing or certification agencies. All allied health professionals must be supervised by a physician.

D. Conception. The fecundation of the ovum by the spermatozoa.

E. Consent. A signed and witnessed voluntary agreement to the performance of an abortion.

F. Department. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

G. Emancipated Minor. A minor who is or has been married or has by court order been freed from the care, custody, and control of her parents.

H. Fetal Death. Death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy; the death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

I. Fire Safety Authority. The State Fire Marshal, or his designee, who performs facility fire and safety inspections.

J. Hospital. An institution licensed for hospital operation by the Department in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44, of the S.C. Code of Laws, 1976, as amended, and that has also been certified by the Department to be a suitable facility for the performance of abortion.

K. In Loco Parentis. Any person over the age of 18 who has placed him/herself in the position of a lawful parent by assuming obligations that are incidental to the parental relationship and has so served for a period of 60 days.

L. Licensee. The person, partnership, corporation, association, organization, or professional entity on whom rests the ultimate responsibility and authority for the conduct of the abortion clinic.

M. Medical Emergency. That condition which, on the basis of the physician's good faith judgment, so complicates a pregnancy as to necessitate an immediate abortion to avert the risk of her death or for which a delay will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily functions.

N. Minor. A female under the age of 17.

O. Physician. A person licensed to practice medicine in this State.

P. Pregnancy. The condition of a woman carrying a fetus or embryo within her body.

Q. Probable Gestational Age of the Embryo or Fetus.

What, in the judgment of the attending physician, based upon the attending physician's examination and the woman's medical history, is with reasonable probability, the gestational age of the embryo or fetus at the time the abortion is planned to be performed. This estimate must be guided by recommendations found in The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Standards for Obstetric-Gynecologic Services, i.e., calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period.

R. Products of Conception. Fetal and embryonic tissues resulting from implantation in the uterus.

S. Trimester. A 12-week period of pregnancy.

T. Viability. That stage of human development when the fetus is potentially able to live outside of the mother's womb with or without the aid of artificial life support systems. (Section 44-41-10(l) of the S.C. Code of Laws further states that "for the purposes of this chapter, a legal presumption is hereby created that viability occurs no sooner than the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy." The "twenty-fourth week," as stated in the S.C Code, is based on computation from date of conception, i.e., the twenty-sixth week from the first day of the last menstrual period.)