25-year-old Emily Letts, an abortion counselor has shared a video of herself having a surgical abortion on YouTube, saying she wants it to help banish stigma surrounding abortion. Personally, I'm pro contraceptive and pro-life, and only pro-choice where certain externuating circumstances are involved, like extreme young age, rape, health impacts, etc.
If for instance, a 25 years old woman gets pregnant 'by mistake' for her boyfriend or a one-nighter, my first counsel if for her to keep it. If she however, does choose to have an abortion, I will not judge but support her. But I doubt there can be any 'positive' abortion stories, except for the life you make for yourself after it.
A positive life after abortion is one in which the woman is more self aware and better sexually educated, and makes wholesome reproductive choices. I believe that abstinence or finding a contraceptive that works with one's body is a better choice than abortion - whether chemical or surgical.
Emily Letts, who works at the Cherry Hill Women's Center in New Jersey, explains in an article for Cosmopolitan.com that despite being a sex educator, she hadn't been using any birth control and 'wound up pregnant' by mistake last November She also chose to have a surgical procedure than taking pills so she can be a better counselor at her job. She says of the abortion video on Youtube;
This is my story. This is ONLY my story. I do not pretend that it is anything more or anything less. I do not speak for everyone on this sensitive subject and I respect everyone's opinions as long as they do not force them onto others.
My dearest hope is that someone somewhere will see this and it will provide some guidance, strength, support, or whatever else they need in that moment. I want to tell that person that you are not alone. Having an abortion does not make you a bad person, a bad woman, a bad mother. Having an abortion does not make you guilty. It is simply one step in your reproductive story. You are not along. I am here for you. We are all here for you.
PLEASE PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO. Please help me spread it to all corners of the internet. 1 in 3 women will have or have had an abortion in their reproductive life. This video is for all of us.
In the three-minute YouTube video, Emily Letts is wheeled into the operating theater and then filmed from the waist up as doctors remove the embryo from her womb. She remains awake throughout, numbed only by local anesthetic. The video has prompted strong reactions from pro-life campaigners as well as those supporting Miss Letts' actions. What do you think?
i think not everything is meant to be shared. As a sex counselor, how can she expect to be effective if she can't even follow her own advice. I am pro-choice because I believe in letting people have the freedom to chose what they want to do with their life. However, I am 100% sure i will not be aborting any baby except for health reasons and God forbid rape. I want to be able to make that decision which is why i don't claim to be pro-life.
ReplyDeleteI think she deliberately got pregnant so she can make this video and have her 1 min of fame. She will live with it and see there is no positive in killing a baby that did not ask to be conceived. Shame.
ReplyDeleteNo Myne there's no such thing as a positive abortion story. The only circumstances that come to mind are aborting a child at risk of being born with birth defects and such other situations, but even at that.....I am pro-choice yet in spite of that, I think abortions are not to be taken as lightly as doing a swap test or some other minor procedure. In my opinion this is just a misguided, frivolous individual who's trying to justify her stupidity by telling the world that "her dearest hope is......." She's making light a very weighty issue. And how exactly is the video supposed to help BTW? To encourage more young women to continue to have unprotected/casual sex and just drop by the clinic and get rid of the product whenever the need arises?
ReplyDeleteMyne, you sound a tad judgmental. Being pro-contraceptive may sound good but even contraceptives fail. Would you be more sympathetic if she said her contraceptive failed? Since abstinence is the only fail-safe contraceptive? Under normal circumstances, I am pro-life FOR MYSELF. I cannot choose what other women will do with their bodies for whatsoever reason at any point in their lives. That is a choice and a decision best left to them.
ReplyDeleteYes, Ayo. I would be more sympathetic if she said her pills or condom failed. I am not judging her for the abortion, but for probably deliberately getting pregnant knowing she would then get an abortion so as to write a story and make a video.
DeleteAbortion is not the end of the world, but it is never to be treated lightly.
I will support any woman to choose what works for them, but I cannot support making an abortion video in the way this lady has, just to show the procedure can be positive.
There are tons of positive abortion stories - and those involve women who make the hard choice of choosing not to have children for whatever reason; whether it be that they are not ready to have children or don't see a situation where that child can be loved. THere are too many unloved, neglected children out there - and i beleive if people spend more time CHOOSING to be parents they can do a better job at it. I am prochoice without any buts. Its my life and my body and you should have the right to choose. Yes - you should also be educated on contraception etc - but nothing is full proof. Its sinister to beleive that people CHOOSE to get pregnant, just so they can have an abortion. Thats like saying people CHOOSE to eat so they can be Obese and overweight. We all know that life happens - lets quit all the judging.
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