Pro Abortion Rights

L.J., she/her pronouns. I eat anti-abortionists and transphobes for lunch.

[simplefolk]

Abortion is morally wrong, end of story. 

[queerandprochoice]

Forcing someone to continue an unwanted pregnancy is morally wrong, end of story.

[profeminist]

“Dear Betsy, 

 As a Black woman & the Chair of the abortion access task force, I invite you to come by the Hill and say this to my face. 

 Would welcome the opportunity to educate you. 

Regards, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley” 

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Replying to a headline on The Hill,  “DeVos compares pro-choice to being pro-slavery”  

[afunnyfeminist]

“I can’t believe people who want to have control over their own reproduction don’t believe in spending tax dollars on inferior schools that don’t teach facts and don’t allow students bathroom breaks to change their maxi pads.”

~ Betsy Devos ~

[kiwianaroha]

What’s so sad about this is that there are people who would like to carry their pregnancies to term but either cannot afford to do so or are put in the position of choosing between their education or their pregnancy. 

Besty Devos is in a position to help pregnant students fulfil their academic dreams and provide better education for the children of struggling families - both of which would help people who want to continue their pregnancies.

[bluelipsblueveins-blue]

If you want to ban abortion, I'm not sorry, we can't be friends.

[mysterious-foxes]

[moved-to-lilith-xxx-deactivated]

[butch-with-a-tortoise-deactivat]

If you don’t believe a rape survivor who becomes pregnant should be able to make the choice of whether or not to continue that pregnancy you do not support rape survivors. 

If you spread misinformation about abortion (such as the false claim that higher levels of depression are due to an abortion when several studies have shown that depression after an abortion is the same phenomena as postpartum depression; fluctuating or intense emotions due to changes in hormones and the body’s homeostasis) you are not a good ally and you are endangering people. 

If you use cases of survivors who have chosen to carry out a pregnancy caused from rape or in an abusive relationship to guilt or shame others into feeling they should/should have done the same thing, you are a vile misogynist and you do not support survivors. 

If you compare abortion to the Holocaust despite many, many Jews practically begging you to stop because of how insensitive it is (and because of the crimes the Nazis committed against pregnant Jewish women and Jewish abortion doctors), you are an antisemitic creep. 

If you’re in the “pro life” community on Tumblr or in other spaces and ally yourselves with conservative Christians, homophobes, misogynistic porn blogs (there are a lot of them in the pro life community here, it’s bizarre), you’re not a feminist and you’re a horrible person. 

The amount of so called progressive pro lifers on this site who are friends with, in group chats with, and ally themselves with deeply misogynistic, racist, ableist conservatives is terrifying. 

[itsnotjustpms]

Look at where you get your information. Make sure it’s reliable. Stop causing more pain to people already in a rough place. 

[heartmarierose]

[image description: screenshot of a Facebook post by Marisa Dahlman, timestamped Friday at 3:16pm. Date not specified.

Post reads as follows

I performed an emergency surgery several months ago to treat a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The patient could have died, but we were able to stabilize her and send her home the same day.

She called my office this week in tears asking why we did not reimplant her pregnancy in her uterus, why did we not offer her this option. Because maybe her baby didn’t have to die.

Pseudoscience is invading my operating room and my relationship with my patients. This poor woman had to have emergency surgery, and then grieved the loss of a pregnancy that was never viable, that could have killed her.

And now she is grieving it again because politicians who lack even the most basic understanding of the physiology of pregnancy are dangling untruths in front of her and calling it fact.

In case anyone reading this is wondering, THIS IS NOT A THING. It is NOT POSSIBLE to reimplant ectopic pregnancies into the uterus. These are NOT viable pregnancies, and all the wishing in the world, the magical thinking, the political grandstanding, will not make it so.

End image description]

[strengthins0lidarity]

Hi friends. Quick anatomy lesson, complete with fun pictures.

This is the reproductive system in question.

Interesting, right? I’ve been told it looks like a shark.

In viable pregnancies, a fertilized egg (known as a zygote in biology) implants in the wall of the uterus.

As the pregnancy progresses, the zygote grows. Cells undergo mitosis (where the cells replicate) and differentiation (where the cells take on special jobs and become organ systems). At full term, the zygote resembles a baby we know.

The placenta delivers nutrients to the fetus and helps detoxify wastes. From the placenta comes the umbilical cord, which serves a similar purpose. The fetus’ head presses against the cervix, through which it will pass during birth. The part in the circle are the pregnant person’s internal organs! The uterus smooshes them to make room. It’s no wonder they use the restroom so often!

In an ectopic pregnancy, however, the zygote doesn’t implant correctly.

It can implant in a variety of places (including the fallopian tube, pictured) to which it is not suited.

After it implants, it continues to undergo mitosis (which we talked about earlier). Whereas the uterus is equipped to deal with this exponential growth, other parts of the body are not.

As the zygote grows, it puts immense strain on the organ it implanted in. If it continues to grow too long, it can rupture! The zygote will lose blood supply and will quickly die. The pregnant person will begin to bleed internally without proper medical care. Left alone, it can lead to death of the pregnant person.

This diagram is a little complex, but put very simply, because the zygote hasn’t implanted in the right place originally, it cannot be removed and implanted in the correct one. It won’t be able to fuse correctly with the uterus, or to send signals to develop the umbilical cord and placenta we talked about earlier, not to mention that the rupture causes blood to be diverted from the zygote, effectively killing it before it can be implanted.

Not only is it futile, but it’s unsafe for the pregnant person. Ectopic pregnancies cause blood loss, which is exacerbated by further surgical intervention. Exposure to external environments exposes the zygote to infection, and surgical implantation exposes the pregnant person to infection, which could also lead to pregnancy complication or loss.

To make a long story short: you cannot reimplant an ectopic pregnancy. Please stop trying.

[kari-izumi]

Please reblog this from the person above and not from the TERFs that jumped in after. Thanks :)

[refinery29]

This is what a real, qualified OBGYN will tell you about what women feel when they get an abortion

Dr. Willie Parker, who is trained as a gynecologist and OBGYN, is a hero for the pro-choice movement because he’s honest about the undiscussed aspects of getting (or not getting) an abortion. Watch how he gives a consultation.

[afunnyfeminist]

That last statement about regret is so important, because so many people don’t understand what it is or what causes it. Anti-choicers exploit this by manipulating pregnant people and creating doubt, which only increases the likelihood of regret, no matter what decision the pregnant person makes. You know what is best for you, even if it takes some time to figure it out.

[ultramaga]

a) Ok, he refers to scientific data that supports his case  - but non is linked. It seems oddly invisible… b) I’ve known women who had abortions and would have a hundred more  - it literally means nothing to them. I concede that they may feel no maternal instincts, but that would seem uncommon, and if this is to be the fate of future humanity, it would seem to be a short one c) I’ve known women who were certain they had to have abortions, who nonetheless mourned their dead children. d) I’ve known feminists who want no age restrictions on abortions. Preferably a once yearly purge could occur, where parents can legally hunt and kill progeny.

[afunnyfeminist]

I probably shouldn’t even respond to you, because this is absolutely ridiculous, but I’m bored.

a) It’s unreasonable to expect a gif set to include a link. It’s also unreasonable to expect a doctor to cite a source to a patient.

b) You’ve known no such women.

c) Women do, and are allowed to, feel the gamut of emotions after an abortion, childbirth, or giving their child up for adoption. All of these options should be legal and acceptable. The point of the research is to help patients, not regulate reproductive capacity.

d) You’ve known no feminist who think there should be a “yearly purge” where “parents can legally hunt and kill progeny.” That’s all you.

Pro tip: You lose any credibility you might ever have had when you make up wildly ridiculous claims right after criticizing someone for not including a link.

[kiwianaroha]

If people want to read some of the peer-reviewed literature about the psychological outcomes of induced abortion, then check out the links below.  The *s indicated free access articles that anyone can read. The rest have abstracts. I could keep posting more citations all night but I’m bored and tired.

Feel free to do your own research - you can even google this shit.

* Upadhyay UD, Biggs MA, Foster DG. The effect of abortion on having and achieving aspirational one-year plans. BMC Womens Health. 2015;15:102. Published 2015 Nov 11. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0259-1

* Harris LF, Roberts SC, Biggs MA, Rocca CH, Foster DG. Perceived stress and emotional social support among women who are denied or receive abortions in the United States: a prospective cohort study. BMC Womens Health. 2014;14:76. Published 2014 Jun 19. doi:10.1186/1472-6874-14-76

* Foster, D. G., Raifman, S. E., Gipson, J. D., Rocca, C. H., & Biggs, M. A. (2019). Effects of Carrying an Unwanted Pregnancy to Term on Women’s Existing Children.

Horvath, S. & Schreiber, C.A. Curr Psychiatry Rep (2017) 19: 77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0832-4

* Biggs MA, Upadhyay UD, McCulloch CE, Foster DG. Women’s Mental Health and Well-being 5 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion: A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(2):169–178. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3478

* Rocca CH, Kimport K, Roberts SCM, Gould H, Neuhaus J, et al. (2015) Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States: A Longitudinal Study. PLOS ONE 10(7): e0128832. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128832

Kero, A., Högberg, U., & Lalos, A. (2004). Wellbeing and mental growth—long-term effects of legal abortion. Social Science & Medicine, 58(12), 2559-2569.

Charles, V. E., Polis, C. B., Sridhara, S. K., & Blum, R. W. (2008). Abortion and long-term mental health outcomes: a systematic review of the evidence. Contraception, 78(6), 436-450.

*  Rocca, C. H., Kimport, K., Gould, H., & Foster, D. G. (2013). Women’s emotions one week after receiving or being denied an abortion in the United States. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 45(3), 122-131.

“oddly invisible” my arse

[wren-clouds]

Yo, I have a prayer request for my country!

The New Zealand government has been pushing for a change in the abortion law and its... not good. They're making all manner of changes that will make it easier for someone to get an abortion, able to have late term abortions and harder for medical workers to object to being involved in an abortion. I've been following the process throughout the year, and it seems very clear to me that the government isn't listening to what New Zealand's people are actually saying and just pushing for this change.

Today the annual March for Life in the capital is happening. People will be marching on our governmental building, the Beehive and having a peaceful protest to abortion and this year hopefully it will affect if the bill is passed or not. Unfortunately I can't make it, but I'll be praying that it all goes well and that God will soften the hearts of those in charge of my country, and I would really appreciate it if everyone else did as well!

[motherbychoice]

Good for New Zealand!

[tobeyisprochoice]

👏👏👏

[pro-abortion-rights]

Praying for this bill to pass 🙏

[biscuitsarenice]

Chewing Gum, E4

[plannedparenthood]

You can buy morning-after pills over the counter without a prescription in most drugstores, pharmacies, and online . Brand names include Plan B One Step, Take Action, My Way, AfterPill, and others.

[hilarioushumorfromouterspace]

[trans-axolotl]

people need to stop leaving intersex people out of conversations about reproductive justice. 

intersex people are routinely sterilized at birth, and the choice of whether or not we want to have children is taken from us before we even can reach an age where we would be ready to make that choice. 

intersex people and their families are lied to about surgeries that have no medical benefit, because doctors are so worried about making sure that they uphold the binary system and create people who look “normal” instead of preserving our right to consent to what happens to our bodies. 

intersex people are often denied access to fertility treatment, or have many barriers to accessing infertility treatment because it is believed that we will not want to have children, or that we should not want to have children. 

yet, intersex issues are rarely, if ever, brought up in the context of reproductive rights, despite the fact that bodily autonomy and reproductive justice is a huge issue for the intersex community. 

if you’re fighting for reproductive justice, please consider fighting for our rights to choose as well.

[cripdeaf]

This includes putting a stop to people spouting bullshit that intersex people are all or mostly inherently sterile.

Our variants aren’t what make us sterile in most cases, it’s the fucking doctors.

[heywetotheotherworld]

Reminder that Intersex folks are as or more common than redheads. Intersex bodies are so unacknowledged that we still don’t actually know how many intersex folks are out there. And even now, doctors will often check for incredibly rare brain tumors as the cause of natural intersex traits before they’ll check for someone being intersex.

[anti-capitalistlesbianwitch]

Radical change to abortion laws in NI

Abortion is now decriminalised and same-sex marriage is to be legalised in Northern Ireland.

Abortion has been decriminalised and same-sex marriage is to be legalised in Northern Ireland.

...Legislation making the changes - which was passed by MPs at Westminster - came into force at midnight.

The first same-sex weddings in Northern Ireland are set to take place in February 2020.

Congratulations, Northern Ireland!

[motherbychoice]

People with 2 DNA actually exist, they called chimeras but don’t ask me how this can happen I am not a Doktor or anything

Yep. You're exactly right. :)

[pro-abortion-rights]

Most people who have given birth retain fetal cells, making them genetic chimerae! When you feel like your children never leave you, it's for a good reason ;)

[oh-snap-pro-choice]

Maybe you need God.

Nah I'm good bro

[nofuturefordemocracy]

Do not look away from the horror that is our reality.

Infantcide happens in America. We let this happen. It is our fault for letting it get this far.

[motherbychoice]

Omg. Infantcide. No. If one of my children needed life support to survive, I would be the one to decide whether or not life sustaining measures were taken. It's the same case in with a newborn.

Interesting to see a newborn being referred to as an 'it' though.

[waterbears]

So... A room for parents who have had to terminate a wanted pregnancy, due to either a threat to the life of the pregnant person or a fetal abnormality incompatible with life, to say goodbye. Yeah. Fucking monstrous.

[motherbychoice]

Pretty much. The audacity, right? I am appalled! Clutching my pearls even.

[pro-abortion-rights]

Anti-abortionists hate end of life decisions like they hate abortions, because they hate any form of human dignity and self-determination that doesn't fit the fantasy that life is always awesome and we need to keep breathing no matter what the cost.

[slayerbuffy]

ENCUENTRO NACIONAL DE MUJERES en La Plata, Argentina (oct 2019). (x)