Why The Idealization of Abortion Has The Potential To Do More Harm Than Good

Photo by Guillermina Maria Bobbett

T/W: abortion, self-harm

(Written from a pro-choice perspective)

I begin this essay article with a gentle reminder that all opinions and arguments conveyed throughout this article are based solely on my personal abortion experience. Abortion can be difficult to talk about, and I understand that almost every woman that's been through it may have a vastly different perspective on the experience. This essay isn't necessarily about being right and proving someone else wrong, it's about voicing an opinion from my perspective, and encouraging the start of a conversation that hopefully inspires other women to do the same.

Last year, 207,384 women were reported to have had an abortion in England and Wales, with women aged 22 making up the majority of these figures (31.6 per 1,000 women to be exact). 

This year, I became a part of the new statistic after choosing to terminate my own pregnancy.

Though women have had access to medical abortions since the 1967 legalization in the United Kingdom, and many know of at least one other female friend, mother, or sister that's been through the procedure themselves, there's no denying that the subject matter still carries a particular stigma that many find difficult to engage with. 

In an effort to break down this perpetual stigma pushing the narrative that abortion is something women should feel shamed out of engaging with or admitting to, social media has arguably become the new safe space in which the normalization of abortion is being encouraged through the existence of pro-choice websites, forums, and female-led group pages; each medium created with the intent of raising awareness and allowing women to share their experience whilst simultaneously giving and receiving advice and support.

Using social media to break down this social barrier and educate others on the importance of abortion healthcare is vital. However, after coming across a photo on Twitter that pictured a young woman holding her new pair of gold, custom made bamboo hoop earrings with the word "abortion" plated across them, I couldn't help but question whether the message trying to be conveyed within this bold pro-choice statement was empowering or just completely insensitive.

The harsh truth is that, for many women, the abortion procedure itself isn't empowering. 

Without going into too much vivid detail, I can say that, truthfully, my abortion was an experience that left me feeling as though I'd violated my own body, and it's taken me a lot of time to heal from the damaging mental repercussions I've been left with due to the physical effects that the misoprostol pills had on my body both during and after my abortion.

There's no denying that the grief I've struggled with subsequent to my own abortion may have an influence on the argument that I'm putting across, though I'd argue that it's my experience that solidifies the point I'm trying to make. My point being that, there are many ways to be a pro-choice ally, but taking a sensitive topic such as abortion and wearing it as an accessory under the guise of inspiring radical change, is not helpful. Instead, I find that it has the potential to do more harm than good as it undermines the significance of the abortion procedure and the detrimental impact abortion can have on a woman's wellbeing, both mentally and physically. 

So, whilst I understand the rationale behind the idea that these earrings may encourage normalizing abortion within society, and may have the potential to provoke the uncomfortable (yet necessary) conversations that stimulate positive societal change, I'd suggest that there are many other, much more effective ways in which we can all be an ally for the pro-choice movement without acting in ways that can come across as performative, diminishing or insensitive.

Instead, I believe that to be a true ally for the pro-choice movement, we should, particularly as women, make the choice to normalize abortion through acts of kindness. Whether this is supporting your friend’s choice and holding her hand during the procedure, offering to pick your sister up from the clinic, or just listening to their story. Playing your part in the normalization of abortion within society does not need to stem from radical acts of idealization. Rather, we should recognize the complexities that abortion can have on a woman's physical and mental health, and find ways in which we, as a society, can offer valuable support and understanding.