Thousands of women shared their stories of abortion on social media last month, compelled to talk about their own experiences in a bid to end the stigma and misinformation that still surrounds the procedure. Even in countries where abortion has been legal for decades, it often remains a controversial subject with those against the procedure giving political, moral, social, ethical and religious reasons. Show
Abortion activists Amelia Bonow, Lindy West and Kimberly Morrison in the US started the #ShoutYourAbortion campaign on Twitter last month, partly in response to threats from conservative Republican hardliners to de-fund Planned Parenthood – a nonprofit taxpayer-funded health service providing reproductive care – and partly due to West’s acknowledgment that although she had had an abortion she rarely ever talked about it. “The fact that even progressive, outspoken, pro-choice feminists feel the pressure to keep our abortions under wraps – to speak about them only in corners, in murmurs, in private with our closest confidantes – means that opponents of abortion get to define it however suits them best. The truth is that life is unfathomably complex, people with uteruses own their bodies unconditionally, and every abortion story is as unique as the person who lives it. Some are traumatic, some are even regretted, but plenty are like mine,” West wrote in the Guardian. To show how important free-access abortions are, West, Bonow and Morrison asked women to share their positive stories of the procedure. Women from countries around the world responded causing the hashtag to trend on Twitter in Australia, UK, US, as well as in Ireland where abortions are still illegal. Here eight women talk about their abortion and explain, using their own experiences, why it’s important that it’s a free-access medical procedure and an individual choice for all women around the world. “I don’t regret my choice. I’m thankful I had a choice” Leah, 29, London
“I felt sure in my decision and still do, but I know now that I suffered emotional and psychological consequences that it took me some time to process and understand” Solo, 37, Scotland
“There were anti-abortion protesters outside the clinic, and I remember feeling incredibly angry that this group of men were trying to terrorise young women” Georgia, 28, London
“There needs to be more support for women that have abortions” Anonymous, 30, London
“The fear of being looked down upon for doing something that was legal and completely reasonable is what I find distressing. It’s mind-boggling that abortion is a national political issue when it is really about an individual woman’s life course” Gail, 30, United States
“Without doubt it is one of the worst things I have been through but I would not have done it another way” Anonymous, 40, Wiltshire, UK
“I am thankful every day for my rights as a woman. I don’t think that my rights as a woman and my reproductive choices are something that should be up for discussion” Kelly, 23, Virginia, United States
“I was an emotional teenager dating an emotionally unstable teenager. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to become more than that” Lisa, 34, Gloucestershire, UK
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