In obstetric terminology, what does Gravida refer to?

• A. How many births?
• B. Weeks gestation?
• C. How many pregnancies?
• D. Last menstrual period?

Answer: (C)

Gravida is the number of times a patient has been pregnant, including the current pregnancy. This count includes all pregnancies regardless of the outcome (live birth, miscarriage, abortion, ectopic pregnancy), so it directly measures how many pregnancies a person has experienced. That’s why it’s the best choice: it isn’t about how far along the pregnancy is (weeks gestation), nor about the number of births (that’s parity), nor about the date of the last menstrual period. In practice, you’ll often see Gravida paired with Para to summarize obstetric history; for example, Gravida 3 Para 2 means three pregnancies in total, of which two have reached viability and been carried to a certain gestational age.