In recent years, women have shared stories of their infertility, miscarriages, postpartum depression and birth trauma. But there is one area of reproductive health that moms are still reluctant to open up about, and that?s abortion.
It may surprise you to learn that many of the women who have abortions in Canada?perhaps the majority?are moms. According to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, about 39 percent of the women who had abortions at Canadian hospitals reported at least one previous delivery, compared to the 35 percent who reported no previous births. (The birth status for the remaining 26 percent was unknown.)
This reality does not align with the common stereotype of who gets an abortion: a young childless woman who doesn?t feel ready to take on the responsibility of having a baby and becoming a parent. In fact, choosing abortion can be a parenting decision, as moms and dads recognize the needs (and limitations) of their families, balancing financial, emotional and medical considerations. Currently, draconian U.S. anti-abortion laws and the anti-choice film, Unplanned (screened in major movie theatres across North America this summer), are amplifying misinformation about abortion that only exacerbate the fear and judgment that women deal with. On social media, women are finally encouraging others to share their abortion stories using the #youknowme hashtag.
The women we spoke to had varied reasons for choosing to terminate a pregnancy: the mom ...