Women who become pregnant for the first time are known as?

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer 2016 (Shift -2)

Explanation

Primigravida is the specific medical term for a woman who is pregnant for the first time.
The term is derived from the Latin words 'primus' meaning first, and 'gravida' meaning pregnant.
This status applies from the moment of conception until the first delivery is completed.
Gravidity refers to the number of pregnancies, while parity refers to the number of births after 20 weeks gestation.

Option B: This term refers to a woman who has given birth once to a fetus that reached the age of viability (20+ weeks). A primigravida becomes a primipara only after she delivers her first baby.
Option C: This term refers to a woman who has been pregnant more than once (two or more times).
Option D: This term refers to a woman who has never completed a pregnancy to the stage of viability. She may have never been pregnant or may have had miscarriages before 20 weeks.

Visual 1: Infographic: A chart defining and differentiating the key obstetric terms: Nulligravida, Primigravida, Multigravida, Nullipara, Primipara, and Multipara, with simple icons for pregnancy and birth.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Obstetric Terminology: Gravidity and Parity as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Accurate use of terms like primigravida and primipara is essential for clear communication in obstetric records, handovers, and consultations, ensuring continuity and safety of care.
A patient's gravidity and parity (G/P) status is a fundamental part of their obstetric history. It influences risk assessment for conditions like pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and cephalopelvic disproportion.
What if? If a patient had one previous pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage at 10 weeks and is now pregnant again, she is a G2P0 (Gravida 2, Para 0). In this second pregnancy, she would be referred to as a multigravida, not a primigravida, because it is her second time being pregnant.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question testing knowledge of standard medical terminology.
Identify the key concepts in the question stem: 'pregnant' and 'first time'.
Analyze the prefixes of the options: 'Primi-' means first, 'Multi-' means many, and 'Nulli-' means none.
Differentiate between the suffixes: '-gravida' relates to pregnancy, while '-para' relates to birth (parturition).
Combine the prefix for 'first' (Primi-) with the suffix for 'pregnancy' (-gravida) to arrive at 'Primigravida'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Obstetric Terminology: Gravidity and Parity
Stem keywords: women, pregnant, first time
Lead-in keywords: known as
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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