In the wake of the overturn of Roe. v Wade, we asked our supporters across the country to step out of their comfort zone, and share a quote or a story about themselves or of an individual who has experience accessing reproductive health care.
We received stories about physicians potentially risking their life to perform abortions, abortion seekers having no control over their reproductive decisions, and the health hazards that come with being forced to keep a pregnancy. Our purpose in sharing these stories is to reinforce the reality that no one is alone in the fight for reproductive health rights and that none of the reasons people choose to have an abortion are wrong.
While some of these stories may feel discomforting, they highlight real experiences and we hope you are able to find a common ground and empathize with them. We must have the courage to listen and seek comfort in discomfort. And we are driven to use our platform in solidarity while sharing these demands with other grassroots organizations:
- Anyone with the capacity for pregnancy has the right to make informed choices about whether or when they have children.
- Anyone with the capacity for pregnancy has the right to access a full range of affordable medical care and informed family planning services free from criminalization, punishment, or harassment by the state, institutions, and individuals.
- Anyone with the capacity for pregnancy has the right to access to accurate information and services regarding sexual and reproductive health care with full protection for their privacy and confidentiality.
Below are a few of the many powerful quotes and stories that we received from you:
“The legal hoops I had to jump through to get my ”legal” abortion were meant to dissuade me, but instead it just made me more determined to have it.” – Nancy
“I was told that procedures were being delayed because the physician had to ”change her schedule so she wouldn’t be killed.” What? As a patient, that’s not exactly the words you want to hear.” – Anonymous
“I was relieved [that I had my abortion] because it was the first time I really started to take charge of my sexual health and really became aware of how restrictive state abortion policies can affect ordinary people like me.” – Anonymous
“Roe V Wade was passed in Jan 1973. Abortions were only available in a few areas. I was 17 in 1973. I realized I was pregnant and was terrified to tell my mother and father.” – Anonymous
“It was a secret abortion and I was never to talk about it. I’m 66 years old now. My parents have both passed away and I’m ready to talk.” – Gloria
“[My mother] devised a plan. She would tell my father that we were going to visit my grandmother who lived on a very remote farm about 5 hours away. When actually she had gotten 2 plane tickets to New York City.” – Anonymous
“I remember an 18″ needle being inserted into my abdomen. A week later I was back at home. I had to put on an act as though nothing had happened.” – Anonymous
“I had to abort my child at 22 weeks, as the baby was not growing due to a condition Intrauterine Growth Restriction. The support and care we received from the hospital in Australia, during and after the procedure, made this a lot more easier to deal with.” – Anonymous
“To be able to make a choice and for the institutions to back you through these choices is a powerful tool. For American women’s rights to make these choices being taken away is a tragedy on so many levels.” – Anonymous
“I had my son and the first years were rough & I had opted for adoption but my dad wouldn’t let me. I had no help from parents. It changed my life, and I fought hard for our rights for abortion.” – Sharon
“I had the abortion as I felt it was the best choice at the time under the circumstances, and I still have no regrets whatsoever.” – Anonymous
“I am so grateful that I was able to have the [abortion] performed medically and safely and think it is an abomination that women are being forced back to pre-Roe and all its awful consequences.” – Anonymous
“I have worked in abortion clinics and have heard stories of rape and incest. Most of the women were under the age of 16. SCOTUS has no right, especially older men, to tell women what they can and cannot do to their bodies.” – Steve
“At my [OBGYN] visit I requested a renewal of my birth control pills. This doctor, I later found out he was a Catholic, said: “I’ll renew them this time only, because I must see that you are able to ovulate.” – Barb
“A dear friend & her husband were expecting a very much desired baby when she contracted German measles. That baby was so horribly deformed that it could not have lived. In this country, she would have been forced to carry it to term.” – Anonymous
“I had a friend who called me to pick her up at a motel. The person [who gave her an abortion] punctured her uterus & she bled to death. There were many who died like that. I do not want that for any women to ever happen today.” – Anonymous
“Indigenous women had and have rights to their own reproductive decisions. Native communities made population decisions for the sake of sustainable ecosystems. During lean years (like after natural disasters or harsh winters) communities would wait to have children so that they wouldn’t starve. But also because food webs wouldn’t suffer due to their own lower populations. The fact that the dominant society sees human reproduction as a commodity with men being the sole decision makers are archaic. women’s bodies, women’s decisions for the sake of the planet. Decolonize!” – Usdi
“In my early 20’s, I unfortunately got two girlfriends pregnant, and both had an abortion.” – Robert
“I have had two abortions in my life. When I was 14 years old I fell in love with a boy. I became pregnant at 15. I remember that I believed to have a child then would ruin my life and limit my future chances at a success. My boyfriend agreed. We went to Planned Parenthood and found out what our options were. I decided to leave home and move in with a friend, go on Medi-Cal, and get an abortion. My boyfriend was with me, and I remember the details of that day quite well. Unpleasant and sad as it was, I have no regrets. Several years later, I fell in love with a young man. I became pregnant again at age 23. We were young and partied a lot. Again, I believed it would be irresponsible to have that child. I went to Planned Parenthood again and got an abortion. My experience, and a few others’, was filmed in a TV special at the time called “Can I Cry Now”. Still, no regrets. That man and I later married and had two beautiful wonderful amazing children. Getting pregnant with and having those two children is the most important and best thing I have done with my life. I crazy love them, even now as they are both close to and over 40. I crazy love their spouses, and crazy crazy love my two grandchildren. I strongly believe that it makes all the difference if you can have a child when you’re ready. Then you can be fully present and fully available and fully enthusiastic about the prospect of being a mother. The last thing in the world we need is pissed-off women raising the next generation.” – Victoria
“I was in my late 30’s and pregnant. Even though I already had 4 birth children and 3 step-children, I was planning everything – where to put the crib, etc. The pregnancy was about 3 months along when I began spotting. I did not get worried at first, then the bleeding got heavier and the cramps started. I went to my doctor, I knew something was wrong. My doctor could not detect a heartbeat and wanted to wait. I waited a few days and the bleeding got heavier again. Then, I went back to the doctor who told me that an “abortion” was not offered through her office. I decided I had had enough. I went to another doctor for a second opinion. After examining me, he sent me to the ER for an emergency D and C. The fetus had died and my body could not expel it on its own. I was lucky I went for a second opinion. That doctor told me that it could have turned septic if I had waited much longer. I could have lost my life – and my children their mother – if I had not “gotten an abortion.” – Cindy
“As a girl and a woman I never felt like property. Never did I feel that my gender was inferior nor destined for the role of wife and mother. I was my own decision-maker. I did not feel “owned”. My will was my own. The Roe decision allowed me to choose a life and an occupation as a psychiatric and medical social worker that cares for, supports, and honors life to its very end.” – Ann
Take action with us!
Stories are timeless. We hope you share these on your social media accounts to spread awareness about the present state of reproductive health rights. If you now feel inspired to share your story, it is never too late! You can share them here.
There are many ways to contribute to the fight for reproductive justice and we strongly encourage you to do so. One way is by going to the resource page on our website to access a list of local abortion funds across the U.S. to donate to and support.