Abortion Explained!
Abortion Stigma
What is 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.
A video explainer on abortion stigma by the Sea Change Program co-written by We Testify executive director Renee Bracey Sherman.
Abortion stigma is defined as a “negative attribute” towards people who provide, have had, or are seeking abortions. Abortion stigma is a shared understanding among a group of people or society that abortion is morally wrong and/or socially unacceptable, thus people who are associated with abortion are mistreated. Abortion stigma is present all over our society in government and politics, media and pop culture, schools, hospitals, religious institutions, and the conversations we have with family and friends. We learn about how to treat people who have abortions through the stories we hear from others, values within our families, comments by politicians, teachers, and medical providers, and even through characters’ stories on television and films.
“Storytelling absolutely helped me undo a lot of that internalized stigma because I would never think any of that about anyone else. When it was me, I was like 'Oh, I’m just bad' but I couldn’t actually pinpoint the 'why I am bad?' So it literally made me reverse it and I was like, 'Actually, I’m great. Actually, I am the best because I had an abortion.'“
— Lexis Dotson-Dufault, We Testify Storyteller
Abortion stigma makes people who have abortions feel unsupported and isolated during their experience.
While most people receive support from people they share their decision with, some live in households where abortion is not supported as a pregnancy option. This can make it hard to confide in others for support. Most people share their experiences with one or two other people in their lives, but they usually want to feel safe and supported before doing so. Research has shown a link between the way a person feels about abortion and whether or not they know someone who’s had one, but people who share their abortion story are often harassed. One study showed 60% of people who shared their experience received death threats, doxxing, and sexual harassment. Most people who share their abortion stories are met with love and support, as well as harassment. It’s important that we model how to love people who have abortions aloud in public.
While characters who have abortions are portrayed in movies and on TV have become more representative of our real lives and experiences over the years, the majority still depict people seeking abortions as white people who aren’t parents — even though most people seeking abortions in real life are parents and people of color. This can lead to erasure and increased isolation of people of color who have abortions. Although these depictions may not directly portray abortion as bad, by not centering the experiences of people most impacted by abortion access, stigma is further perpetuated by not acknowledging the barriers and obstacles many of us face. Every reason for having an abortion is a good enough reason, and everyone loves someone who’s had an abortion.
“I know that some people may judge me for my abortions, but I will not apologize for putting my mental health and children’s futures first. I know that I’m a damn good mom, and nothing they say will change that.”
— Kay Winston, We Testify storyteller