Shmashmorshion

The procedure that dare not speak its name. 
I know this topic is incredibly difficult to talk about. It's touchy, it's loaded, it's emotional. But hey, so is sexual assault and self esteem and masturbation and all the other stuff I talk about so why not venture into this territory.

What I have to say is short and sweet. Abortion is legal; deal with it. It's not killing anyone, it's not murdering babies. It's medically evacuating a fetus. They have time limits on it here in Canada; you can't get an abortion after a certain month (it varies slightly from province to province). This means that generally there are no third trimester abortions or even late second trimester abortions. When the fetus is evacuated, it is not developed enough to survive on its own; it is not considered a person from a legal standpoint. It is not painful for the fetus; at this stage they do not have a neocortex, which is needed to feel pain and does not develop until the third trimester. 

Moreover, it is a medical, and not a criminal, issue. In fact it is criminal to prevent a woman from getting an abortion, and the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are currently facing a lawsuit because they are denying women's rights to their bodies by preventing or putting obstacles in place for abortion. 

Do you think it's easy to get an abortion in the Maritimes? It is not. Prince Edward Island does not have a single clinic or hospital that performs abortions (and they haven't since 1982), which means that the women of PEI have to travel outside of their province. If they can't afford the travel then they end up with an unwanted infant. Furthermore, PEI will only cover the cost of the procedure if a doctor has deemed it medically necessary. This is true of several provinces. This means that many women have to have psychological reasons listed for why they are having an abortion (as threat to the mother's life may not be medically accurate), and this goes on their medical history. Hello spiked life insurance payments, goodbye privacy. 

The fact is that women will receive more financial support from this country to have a child they never wanted than to have a medical procedure done. (To find out about the regulations in place for each province, check out This Link and pay close attention to the number of hospitals and clinics per province, then remember how massive Canada is). 

New Brunswick has a horrible system in place. Fredericton's Morgentaler Clinic is the only private clinic in the Maritimes. Despite efforts by pro-choicers, the procedure is not funded. The only way to have your abortion covered by Medicare is if you can get 2 referrals by doctors, if you're under 12 weeks pregnant, if you can get to the one of the two hospitals in New Brunswick currently performing abortions and if you don't mind having it added to your official medical history, to be viewed by every doctor you have from there on out. 

Basically what I'm trying to say is that it's incredibly difficult in terms of logistics to have an abortion in New Brunswick, or the Maritimes. It requires money that you may not have, time that you cannot give, and jumping through hoops you may not feel equipped to handle. That all seems pretty intimidating right? Now think about what these women are going through emotionally.

I am not speaking from personal experience here but I have friends who I have supported through this ordeal  and I can tell you that this was not an easy decision. I am in the beautiful position of being such a vocal feminist that everyone in my life knows that I will support them through abortions, births, sexual assaults and anything else life throws at them without judging their actions, decisions, thoughts and feelings. What I have learned though my experiences as a researcher, friend and advocate is that getting an abortion does not make for a difficult day or week; it is months of anguish, indecision, pain, shame, sadness, fragility, confusion. Years later these women still think about it, they are not treating the procedure as one would treat the removal of an appendix. It is a complicated decision and one that our country has deemed the women of Canada capable of making. Let them make the decision without intimidation and fear or retribution; they're already dealing with more than most of us will ever face. 

So, what is the opposite of pro-choice? Let me tell you: it is NOT pro-life. It is anti-choice. Pro-choicers certainly aren't anti-lifers. We simply understand that the decision is in the hands of the pregnant woman. We are not pressuring women to have abortions; only hoping that they will someday be able to make their choice without judgement, pressure or fear, and to have the option of abortion made easily accessible. If you don't believe in abortion, then you go ahead and don't believe in abortion for yourself. Forcing others into your way of thinking on this issue is wrong. I would never tell a woman to have an abortion or force her to give birth; I want her to make the decision based on what is best for her. So instead of saying pro-life, try anti-choice, because that's essentially what they're trying to rob women of: 
their choice. 

A final word. 

If you are a woman who is contemplating abortion, or who has had one, or who someday may have one, please listen: You have done nothing wrong. You are not a bad person, you are not any less beautiful or wonderful. You may feel all sorts of emotions, but please never feel shame, because abortion is not shameful. It is your right as a woman. You own your body; this country's politicians and anti-choicers do not. You are not alone. You may never tell me and you may not know who I even am, but my support is radiating out towards you, as it is from all the other women who are in this fight. 
You are not alone.