Partial List of “Obstetrical (OB-GYN) Words”

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TPAL terminology= A system used to describe obstetrical history.

T=term births
P=preterm births (prior to 37 weeks gestation)
A=abortions
L=living children

Example: a woman who has 2 living children born as preterm twins in her first pregnancy would be designated as: TPAL 0-1-0-2 – 0 term births, 1 delivery prior to 37 weeks gestation (preterm), 0 pregnancies ending in spontaneous or induced abortions, and 2 living children

Separate TPAL numbers by hyphens. Obstetric history: 4-2-2-4

Alternatively, spell out the terms as follows:

Obstetric history: 4 term infants, 2 premature infants, 2 abortions, 4 living children

Sometimes, GPA terminology is combined with TPAL terminology.

The patient is gravida 3, 3-0-0-3.
GPA terminology with GPA as the abbreviation for gravida, para, abortus. Accompanied by arabic numbers, G, P, and A (or Ab) describe the patient’s obstetric history. Roman numerals are not used.

G gravida (number of pregnancies)
P para (number of births of viable offspring)
A or Ab abortus (abortions)

nulligravida gravida 0 no pregnancies
primigravida gravida 1, G1 1 pregnancy
secundigravida gravida 2, G2 2 pregnancies
nullipara para 0 offspring

Separate GPA sections by commas. Alternatively, spell out the terms, using lower case.

Obstetric history: G4, P3, A1
or Obstetric history: gravida 4, para 3, abortus 1.

When one or more of the numbers is 0, the preferred form is to write out the terms.

gravida 2, para 0, abortus 2