It's finally happened. A woman has blogged her abortion. Some will call it crazy. Some will call it pathetic. Some will call it ... wait, I don't care what they'll call it. Because I'm going to call it brave. I'm going to call it important.
The anonymous woman behind This Is My Abortion has just four simple photographs atop the sole post on her site. They're the only photos she needs. Because not one looks like the photos of fully formed babies with fingers, legs, eyelashes that you'll see held high by anti-choicers outside of any abortion clinic.
These photos are shocking and even a little gross, but they have on their side what the anti-choice crowd does not.
Truth.
The glass beakers with frothy red liquid at the base show what really comes out of a woman when she's 6 weeks pregnant and decides she does not wish to remain that way.
This woman, who tells us in an op-ed about the abortion blog for The Guardian that she is a photographer by trade, did nothing more than share what was. It's not what the anti-choice crowd wants to see. But it is what is.
I drive by a billboard often that features a drawing that looks like my daughter did when she came out of me. It's not a beaker of blood. It's a fully formed fetus.
It tells me I should be "glad" that my mother chose "life." Ironic. She also chose to "get pregnant." Abortion was never on the table for her to begin with. But the billboards don't make that distinction, do they? It's standard practice for the anti-choicers to peddle in half-truths.
A woman can choose "life," they say. A woman who gets an abortion "kills" a baby. And yet, look inside the glass beakers on This Is My Abortion. There's no baby there. You do not see anything like that fully formed fetus on that billboard. In fact, what is in those beakers is less than what comes out of the uterus on the standard day for a lady who tends to have heavy periods.
This Is My Abortion is important because it's the truth. It's not a big, flashy billboard. It doesn't have a pithy saying. It doesn't stand outside a clinic screaming and making women feel guilty for their choice.
It doesn't have to.
Because it's truth. The photos do as the cliche says -- speak a thousand words. Among them: Simple. Powerful. Brave.
Just take a look ...
What do you make of "Jane's" powerful blog?
Image via AlexandraLee/Flickr
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Comments 378
I still think it's demeaning to human life. Yes, there is very little to see at the beginning of a pregnancy. But it's the beginning of something very big - a human life. I respect her decision but I find it sick how light hearted she is about it. I pray to God she didn't purposely get pregnant to do this.
I think she is very brave. I pray that she does not get too many hateful comments submitted to her blog.
I agree that pro-lifers will use images that show an older fetus to make more of an impact, even though it may not be completely accurate. I am a pro-lifer myself, but I do understand that the vast majority of women get abortions very early into the pregnancy. I also understand that in SOME cases, it might be best for that woman to not be a mother at that given time in her life. And hey, I don't want a woman to end up abusing a child because she's not fit to be a parent but feels forced... (which is why I'm a supporter of adoption/safe haven laws, etc. but I'm going off on a tangent!) However, my only fear is that people will dismiss the magnitude of such a decision based upon "Oh, it's just blood that comes out? Sign me up!" This blogger showed it as it is, which is important, but I worry about some women's reactions to it. Even though it may only appear to be blood, cells, etc. that it is STILL a potential human life. Sure it's not a fully developed fetus, but that doesn't make what's happening any less serious. Sadly there are some women who have multiple abortions and act like it's nothing. It just makes me wonder why they're not being more responsible with their sex life, and why getting so many doesn't seem to affect their future decisions? I know not every woman is like that though.
This is a very powerful blog. I respect her choice to do what's best for her life and wish her well.
i think thats wonderful. we have a choice to do whats right for every womans own personal situation. and we have the right to do it safe with proffesional medical care. welcome to the modern world women, where we have a choice.
Just because it doesnt LOOK like a baby doesnt mean it IS. This isnt brave, this makes me SICK I can't even.....the truth in what?? shes not proving anything. Anyone with brains knows a 6 week embryo isnt a nine month gestation baby so I mean what is she trying to prove???
**doesnt mean it isn't
shes annoymonous...but shes brave?? theres a reason she would get hate mail man this makes me so mad