Which term describes the number of pregnancies a woman has had?

• A. Para
• B. Gravida
• C. Nullipara
• D. Multipara

Answer: (B)

Gravida describes how many times a woman has been pregnant, including the current pregnancy if there is one. This is different from parity-related terms that count pregnancies that reached viability and were delivered. Para refers to the number of pregnancies carried to viable gestational age and delivered (live birth or stillbirth), not the total number of pregnancies. Nullipara means no deliveries beyond viability, and multipara means more than one delivery beyond viability. Therefore, the term that describes the number of pregnancies a woman has had is gravida. For example, a woman who is pregnant for the first time is gravida 1, while a woman who has had prior pregnancies that reached viability and delivery would have higher gravidity.