“abortion is nobody’s first choice” actually i know multiple people whose first thought upon finding out they were pregnant was getting an abortion. and when they did, it was a healthy normal medical procedure that they hold no guilt over as far as i’m aware. people hate to see it but that’s what the process can and should look like
Every time I’ve heard something along the lines of “abortion is nobody’s first choice,” it’s in a full-spectrum context.
The people who don’t want to be pregnant would generally prefer not to have gotten pregnant in the first place, which means:
- comprehensive, medically accurate, age appropriate sex ed on an ongoing basis until adulthood
- affordable, available, effective contraception in the form(s) of their choosing
- recognition of reproductive coercion as a form of intimate partner violence and appropriate support for people experiencing it
The people who are open to a(nother) child, but don’t have the means to support one, may prefer to not have gotten pregnant in the first place or may prefer to carry to term, which means all of the above plus:
- comprehensive, medically accurate reproductive education made available prior to pregnancy
- affordable, available, accessible childcare
- affordable, available, accessible prenatal and post-partum medical care
- robust parental leave policies and protections for pregnant and immediately post-partum workers
- affordable, available, child-friendly housing
The people who really wanted to be pregnant, and wanted to carry to term, but have found themselves experiencing disastrous personal circumstances, may prefer to have an abortion or may prefer to try carrying to term, which means all that plus:
- recognition that pregnancy is when many people are first subjected to abuse by their partners and comprehensive support for pregnant people experiencing domestic violence
- affordable, available, accessible services for special needs children
- robust support for people who are disabled by their pregnancy
- affordable, available, accessible fertility support for couples with a high chance or history of incompatible-with-life embryos
If you want an abortion, you should be able to get it safely, quickly, and without apology, but the list of ways this country is completely and utterly failing to allow people full reproductive autonomy is practically endless. It’s also not an accident that the people salivating over how to make abortion bans as total and damaging as humanly possible also oppose every fucking one of the points listed above.
Breaking the anti-choice cult’s deathgrip on our politics is the only way we’re going to start improving everyone’s lives no matter what they want to do with their gonads.