Abortion Explained!
Everyone loves someone who had an abortion.
Abortion is a common medical procedure that one in four of us have. But, because of abortion stigma and the desire by some politicians to ban it entirely, there’s a lot of misinformation, confusion, hard-to-find information, and downright racist lies about it. We want to set the record straight about abortion and how it intersects with various aspects of our lives and cultures. You deserve the truth about abortion explained to you.
Abortion Stigma
Abortion is one of the most common and safest medical procedures, and yet, people who have abortions and provide care are often left feeling isolated and unwelcome in their communities. Why? Because misconceptions, myths, and discrimination contribute to what’s known as abortion stigma, a community barrier people seeking abortions feel.
Reproductive Justice
Reproductive justice is a framework that reflects the ways racism, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, misogyny, capitalism, white supremacy, structural inequity, and ableism contribute to the erasure and marginalization of people seeking reproductive healthcare and the ability to create families on their own terms.
Hyde Amendment & Helms Amendment
Ever wonder why your medical insurance covers every pregnancy care option except abortion? Ever wondered why abortion access can be hard to come by in other countries that receive funding from the United States? That’s by design.
Self-Managed Abortion
Abortions have been around as long as people could become pregnant. For centuries people did abortions on their own using herbs, teas, or other methods passed down from families and cultural traditions over generations. Some of those traditions are still used today. Today, many people around the world induce their own abortions using herbs or the medications mifepristone and misoprostol.
Later Abortion
Like abortions earlier in pregnancy, later abortions, which occur during the second or third trimester, happen for a myriad of reasons that — despite common later abortion messaging — aren’t only limited to medical reasons. You deserve to have access to abortion care at any time and for any reason.
Multiple Abortions
Multiple abortions have been deeply stigmatized by our society for decades, but almost half of people having an abortion have already had one. If you’re having another abortion, know that you’re not alone and it’s super common!
Race Selective Abortion Bans
The myth of race selective abortions seeks to push a narrative that Black and Brown people having abortions is somehow more egregious and racist than white people having abortions. It is offensive that politicians use these laws to make derogatory claims that Black women would intentionally harm our families based on race, and equate us to slave owners and White supremacists.
Sex-Selective Abortion Bans
Sex-selective abortion bans are restrictions based on the racist and xenophobic stereotype that Asian and Pacific Islander communities prefer male children over female children. Not only is it a gross mischaracterization of complex global gender inequality issues, it assumes that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people having abortions cannot be trusted to make their own decisions and need legislators and medical providers to interrogate their reasons for an abortion.
The Myth of “Abortion Reversal”
One bit of misinformation that anti-abortion politicians and activists are trying to push is a fake treatment called “abortion reversal.” Even though “reversing an abortion” isn’t supported by medical evidence, nor is it an actual medical treatment, some states still force providers to suggest it as an option to you before your abortion.
Disability Justice
Disabled people have abortions, and we all deserve inclusive and compassionate healthcare that considers our specific needs. We may need additional assistance making an appointment, getting to the clinic, reviewing consent forms, physically accessing the procedure room, and leaving the abortion clinic among other things. Additionally, politicians trying to ban abortions exploit ableism and misinformation to dictate who can have abortions and for which reasons, all under the guise of supporting people with disabilities without actually making sure our nation has adequate safety net systems.
Immigration
Our right to make decisions about our reproductive health should never be dependent upon our citizenship status. Historically, anti-abortion policies have risen alongside anti-immigration policies because they’re created and enforced by the same people who seek to uphold white supremacy and limit people of color’s freedoms, families, and futures. The U.S.’s brutal anti-immigration policies make Black and Brown undocumented people feel particularly unsafe and uncertain about their futures every day, and particularly when deciding whether or not to continue their pregnancies.
Queer &Trans Justice
Abortion is a medical procedure that anyone who can become pregnant can have—including queer, trans, nonbinary, and intersex people. Because our medical system is systemically racist, transphobic, and homophobic, queer, trans, nonbinary, and intersex people face discrimination and marginalization when seeking medical and reproductive health care—including something as simple as providers assuming we aren’t the patient or not understanding how to care for our bodies.
Parental Involvement Laws
Most states in the country require young people under the age of 18 to notify or get permission from a parent or legal guardian before an abortion. These are additional legal barriers that are designed to make abortion access more challenging for young people who can get permission from a parent or guardian and really difficult to nearly impossible for those who cannot.
Incarceration
People do not belong in cages—particularly those who are pregnant, parenting, and caring for their families. No one should be shackled while having an abortion or giving birth. The United States incarcerates Black, Brown, and low-income people for simply existing, trying to survive, and of course, criminalized acts of healthcare like self-managed abortions. Even though we maintain our right to an abortion when we become incarcerated, most jails and prisons offer little or no support to people seeking care from within the facility since abortion is viewed as “elective” and is subjected to stigmatizing rules.
Religion & Spirituality
Have you ever wondered what the higher powers or gods you look to for guidance would think about your abortion? You’re not the only one. Most people who have abortions are religious or spiritual. It’s quite common for people to turn to a spiritual guide for support or answers when making a decision about their pregnancy or after an abortion.