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PeaceNikki

(27,985 posts)
Mon Dec 12, 2011, 07:47 PM Dec 2011

"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" When the Anti-Choice Choose

Another piece that I feel is required content in this forum. Please add your own!

Oh... another Joyce Arthur piece, too.

Abortion is a highly personal decision that many women are sure they'll never have to think about until they're suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. But this can happen to anyone, including women who are strongly anti-choice. So what does an anti-choice woman do when she experiences an unwanted pregnancy herself? Often, she will grin and bear it, so to speak, but frequently, she opts for the solution she would deny to other women -- abortion.

In the spring of 2000, I collected the following anecdotes directly from abortion doctors and other clinic staff in North America, Australia, and Europe. The stories are presented in the providers' own words, with minor editing for grammar, clarity, and brevity. Names have been omitted to protect privacy.

Many anti-choice women are convinced that their need for abortion is unique -- not like those "other" women -- even though they have abortions for the same sorts of reasons. Anti-choice women often expect special treatment from clinic staff. Some demand an abortion immediately, wanting to skip important preliminaries such as taking a history or waiting for blood test results. Frequently, anti-abortion women will refuse counseling (such women are generally turned away or referred to an outside counselor because counseling at clinics is mandatory). Some women insist on sneaking in the back door and hiding in a room away from other patients. Others refuse to sit in the waiting room with women they call "sluts" and "trash." Or if they do, they get angry when other patients in the waiting room talk or laugh, because it proves to them that women get abortions casually, for "convenience".

A few behave in a very hostile manner, such as calling clinic staff "murderers." Years ago, a clinic counselor in British Columbia told me that one of her patients went into the procedure room apparently fine with her decision to have an abortion. During the abortion, at a stage when it was too late to stop the procedure, the woman started screaming "You murderers!" and other invectives at everyone in the room.

Many stories at link: http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/anti-tales.html

4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" When the Anti-Choice Choose (Original Post) PeaceNikki Dec 2011 OP
Of course. Control-Z Dec 2011 #1
One Of Former Clinic Director Charlotte Taft's Famous Quotes Vogon_Glory Dec 2011 #2
Don't Like Abortion? Then Don't Have One Vogon_Glory Dec 2011 #3
Part of me really really wants to out these women, Lunacee2012 Dec 2011 #4

Control-Z

(15,682 posts)
1. Of course.
Mon Dec 12, 2011, 08:05 PM
Dec 2011

I almost pulled this from my old DU journal and posted it myself. It is, imo, one of the most revealing pieces ever written.

Vogon_Glory

(9,109 posts)
2. One Of Former Clinic Director Charlotte Taft's Famous Quotes
Mon Dec 19, 2011, 12:29 AM
Dec 2011

One of former clinic director Charlotte Taft's quotes about anti-choice women seeking is abortion is that they think abortion should be illegal except in the cases of rape, incest, and their own personal circumstances.

Vogon_Glory

(9,109 posts)
3. Don't Like Abortion? Then Don't Have One
Mon Dec 19, 2011, 12:36 AM
Dec 2011

There is a trite bumpersticker outt here that says "Don't like abortion? Then don't have one." I believe there's a lot of truth in it.

Lunacee2012

(172 posts)
4. Part of me really really wants to out these women,
Mon Dec 19, 2011, 02:43 PM
Dec 2011

I would never actually do it, but I wish the anti-choice ppl would think twice about outing the Doctors who really do help women.

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