Its been nearly two weeks since my abortion. I have not reached out to anyone or any organization before or after my procedure. a few people know that i had it done, but only those who need to know. i couldn’t be 100% alone with it. I do not regret my decision, but I still feel sad. I am happy that i am no longer pregnant, but i feel guilty for ending what could have been. i was only 6 weeks, so i tell myself it was just a sac. What should i do? Should i talk to someone or just move on?

No one can ever tell you to move on from something that’s obviously important to you. There can be a lot of complicated thoughts and emotions surrounding the decision to have an abortion, and I hope you can believe that they really are all normal. Sometimes there is no perfect choice that will make you completely happy - just the best one you could have made.

Pregnancy does mean potential, and so does abortion. You aren’t having a baby now, but you are going on to accomplish other things. Any time you make that tough choice to take one path over another, you’ll wonder about those what-ifs. And you can be relieved and guilty at the same time, for lots of different reasons.

I can’t tell you what to do, but I can show you some options. The Abortion Assistance Blog’s “Need Someone To Talk To?” page lists four post-abortion hotlines staffed by kind, nonjudgmental people who understand and validate the myriad of abortion experiences. They provide a listening ear and a sounding board.

If you’re not ready to talk to someone, on the phone or in person, I’d recommend journaling or some other creative output. There’s a lot you can tap into and sort through non-verbally (speaking as a future music therapist, here!), which can be especially valuable for complicated experiences like yours.

Self-care is important after an abortion, and for the rest of your life. There are lots of resources for self-care just a Google search away, but my favorite strategies are these:

• Watch funny shows and movies
• Write, draw, cut and paste, color in a coloring book
• Lie in bed and listen to music
• Exercise or take a walk
• Eat food that makes you feel good
• Cry when you need to
• Meditate or pray
• Be with friends

I hope this helped, anon. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do. There are lots of people offering support through Tumblr and email on AAB’s #support tag, and there is a collection of stories under AAB’s “Abortion Stories” page. Best, best wishes to you.

Behind the scenes of the Abortion Assistance Blog! Mmm, spreadsheets.

Anonymous asked: I'm 19 years old, and although there is only a 0.0001% chance right now that I'm pregnant, I still want to know what I can. If I wanted to get an abortion after having possibly gotten pregnant a month ago, and I live in Miami Florida, about how much would it cost? Also, if I walk into the clinic someday, can I get an abortion the same day? What if I can't go to the follow up appointment? How much does the cost increase every week? Sorry for all the questions!

The price will depend on how far along you are, and whether you decide to have a medication abortion or a surgical abortion. Fees also depend on your blood type, the kind of work done before the abortion, and the types of anesthesia and pain medication used. None of the 9 clinics in Miami list their fees online, though some clinic websites do.

So, what are your options now? You can always call a clinic and ask for an estimate, though they may not be able to tell you exactly until they know what I listed in the above paragraph. Each clinic will charge a little differently, so only they can tell you how much it increases per week. Planned Parenthood prices the abortion pill anywhere from $300-$800, and a first-trimester surgical abortion anywhere from $300-$950. Some clinics will lower the fees depending on your ability to pay, or work out a payment system. You can also look into state and national abortion funds, as well as individuals who’ve offered to help out on the Abortion Assistance Blog.

I haven’t heard of clinics providing abortions for walk-ins. Especially if they are targeted by protestors, they may have very specific times when a provider is in and available to do all the pre-operation work and testing. Even though abortion is generally a minor procedure, you will probably still have to make an appointment.

Follow-up appointments are EXTREMELY important, and you do not want to miss them. The staff need to make sure that you’re healing properly. If you’re not sure you can make it back to the clinic, talk with the staff and see if you can go in somewhere else. The risk of complications from first-trimester abortions is vanishingly low, but that doesn’t mean there are no risks, and I really can’t stress enough how crucial it is that you go to your follow-up appointment.

Hope that answers your questions!

Anonymous asked:

Please answer this question for me. Can a 15 year old girl go get an abortion in New Jersey without her parents knowing? Could she pay out of pocket? Would there be a difference between the operation and the pill? What are the laws surrounding this?

Good questions! There are parental notification and consent laws in many states for minors seeking abortion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which reviews abortion policies and effects in the US and internationally, there is a parental notification law in New Jersey - however, due to a court order, the policy is not in effect. So, there is no enforced law requiring parents to be involved in a minor’s abortion in New Jersey.

There are 24 providers in New Jersey that I know of, so there may be differing policies depending on the clinic. I do know that Planned Parenthood accepts cash, and for the most part will not turn you away due to your inability to pay. They may work out a payment plan, or you can ask if they have a fund.

The difference between surgical abortion and the abortion pill (not to be confused with emergency contraception/Plan B) is explained in these posts: Abortion Procedures. There, you can find descriptions of how the abortion pill works, descriptions of the five/six kinds of surgical abortion, and a comparison of medication abortion vs. surgical abortion.

For more information on abortion laws in the US, the Guttmacher Institute is an amazing resource. Their State Center takes you to specific state policies (look for “State Policies in Brief” once you click on your state), but I’d encourage you to spend some time exploring their site to see what else you can learn!

I’m looking into making printable business cards for the Abortion Assistance Blog. This is what I’ve got so far:

Need Help Accessing Safe, Legal Abortion?

Contact the Abortion Assistance Blog

abortionassistanceblog.tumblr.com

abortionassistanceblog@gmail.com

• Transportation to your appointment
• Lodging for overnight travelers
• Babysitting
• Funds
• And many more resources!

Ideally, it would be the colors of the blog, but I don’t have a color printer. I haven’t found a template I like in Word. Does anyone know of one that may work?

righttochoose:

I need there to be pro choice (or pro voice) post-abortion counselling services available. 

Not even for myself anymore - after 5 years, I think I have finally found the peace I was looking for.

But it was hell to go through it without help.

I love that Exhale exists, but it is based in California or something.

There need to be more.

I am fairly certain the local pregnancy/abortion councellers around Vancouver I’ve looked into are pretty clearly pro life - They say non-judgmental, but I personally would not feel comfortable sharing my experience with someone who was trying to force forgiveness on me.

Being told I would be forgiven tells me they think I made the wrong choice. 

Forgiveness is not what I wanted. I wanted closure.

A pro choice or pro voice clinic should provide a woman* with what she needs to heal. Forgiveness if they are looking for it, but only then.

———————

If it doesn’t exist now, I want to create it.

There are three other pro-choice hotlines I know of, and at least one takes international calls as well as those from the US and Canada. You can check out the list of hotlines at the Abortion Assistance Blog’s “Need Someone To Talk To?”

"I’m personally pro-life, but I vote pro-choice, because you can’t make that decision for anyone else. You just can’t."

Representative Kathy Hawken, North Dakota on separating personal beliefs and others’ rights.  (via floridatranslation)

You know how they do these polls on how many people identify as pro-choice v. pro-life? Next time, they need to simply ask, “Do you believe people should not be allowed to have abortions?”, then get more specific from there. Enough with “pro-choice” and “pro-life,” because I really think a lot of people don’t know what the hell either term means.

(Source: alexiaporsupuesto, via stfuprolifers)

sunshine-and-bubbles asked:

So, I’m pro-life. It’s hard to have an actual talk with somebody about it, without them shouting “You’re wrong!” or staring incredulously. You, on the other hand, seem pretty well-informed on this subject. So, I have a little proof that I’d like your opinion on. 1) Fetuses are humans. 2) All humans are people. 3) It’s immoral to kill people unnecessarily. 4) Conclusion: It’s immoral to kill fetuses unnecessarily. Are there any observable flaws in my logic? Thanks for your time :)

It’s possible to be well-informed on a subject and tired enough of anti-choice bullshit not to be polite about it. You believe people don’t have a right to their own bodies - that’s enough reason to make anyone angry.

Anyway.

Yes, there are a lot of observable flaws in your logic. Leaving aside the personhood debate, since it’s really been done to death on this blog (which you would know if you’d spent any time looking through it before sending me this ask), I’d like to talk about your use of the word “necessarily.”

It’s a rather vague term to use in what’s supposed to be a proof. Define it. Tell me who makes that judgment call. I can guess you don’t think it’s the pregnant person, which is strange, given that it’s that person who’s donating the use of their body for 9 months - not you, not politicians, and not religious leaders.

So what is “necessary?” Is it when:

1. A fetus has little chance of surviving outside the womb, or when their life would be short and agonizingly painful?
2. A person is so traumatized by the circumstances of their pregnancy that they can’t - emotionally, mentally, or physically - handle being pregnant?
3. A person can’t afford to be pregnant, much less a parent?
4. A person has a disability that prevents them from carrying a healthy pregnancy to term?
5. A person is in an abusive relationship and the pregnancy ties them tighter to their abuser/puts their life in greater danger?
6. A person is already caring for their children/an aging parent and doesn’t have the internal or external resources to care for another being, much less a newborn baby?
7. A person, using their knowledge of themselves, their resources, their community, their future plans, and their family, decides they are not ready to have a baby?

In my opinion, any of those situations are one in which an abortion is necessary - if the pregnant person decides it is. See, it’s not my place to make those decisions for other people, no matter how well I know them.

So you can logic away about real people’s lives, if that makes you happy. Spit out all the proofs you want on complex circumstances you know nothing about. It sure would be simpler if life was logical, black and white, but it’s not.

Let me know when you have a proof explaining how people feel qualified to make major life choices for complete strangers.

I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone who assisted someone with an abortion.

feministfashionista:

Whether you drove to the clinic, were a shoulder to lean on, assisted financially, or any little thing that helped make someone’s abortion process easier.

Thank you.

(via rhrealitycheck)

Mississippi's Last Abortion Clinic May Close Soon →

Mississippi passed a law last year requiring abortion clinics in the state to have hospital admitting privileges. In a state where the stigma surrounding abortion is extreme and hospitals can refuse any service on religious grounds, this law was written to eliminate safe, legal abortion in Mississippi.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization has been refused admitting privileges by every hospital to which they’ve applied. They can argue their case in front of the Mississippi Department of Health, and attorneys have requested an injunction while they argue the law’s constitutionality. However, if these measures fail, Mississippi could soon be the only state without safe, legal abortion.

A lack of providers means the people in Mississippi will need to travel out of state to acquire an abortion provided in a safe, sterile, legal environment. For those without money to travel, cars, a place to stay, or someone to watch their children (61% of people who have abortions already have children), this may prove an impossible task.

If you or someone you know can provide any of these things - transportation, lodging, child care, funds - please message the Abortion Assistance Blog. You can contact the blog through Tumblr’s Ask, Submit, and Fan Mail functions, or by email at abortionassistanceblog@gmail.com.

keepyourbsoutofmyuterus:

From the National Network of Abortion Funds Facebook page:

On Tuesday, November 27th, we invite you to help us kick off the holiday season by participating in Giving Tuesday, a national day of giving. Tell us why you give: post your photo to our wall, and help spread the word!

I care DEEPLY about abortion funds.

I think if you are truly concerned with reproductive justice, supporting abortion funds is one of the best ways to have a direct and immediate positive impact on someone’s life. It isn’t even about giving money (though that helps and is always needed) but it’s about volunteering time or even simply spreading knowledge about the fact that abortion funds exist. 

Find an abortion fund in your area.

Because like the picture above says, choice is nothing without access. 

BREAKING

Your hurt feelings are not more important than the fact that when you support anti-choice policies, people die.

Let's get real about abortions →

stfuhypocrisy:

“Rather than tell us what you’d like to ban, tell us please what you think government should do to support more happy and healthy childbearing, to reduce unwanted pregnancies and to alleviate the economic anxieties of mothers-to-be?”

(Source: stfueverything)

"There’s no way to give embryos constitutional personhood without subtracting women from the community of constitutional persons."

Lynn Paltrow, Personhood USA’s Keith Mason Eyes Election Day 2012 - Newsweek and The Daily Beast

I have a feeling most anti-abortion people are totally okay with that.

(via robot-heart-politics)

God, I just love this quote. I want to put it on a t-shirt and walk around with a megaphone just yelling it into the megaphone while people pass by.

If you give a zygote personhood, the person carrying it will lose rights. The person that has feelings and friends and a life and actual thoughts. The person that can feel pain and experience trauma will lose their rights.

People shouldn’t be relegated to become citizens with partial rights simply because they are pregnant.

Love,

Rabble

(via rabbleprochoice)

cand86 asked: Is there any doubt on the claims that black women/black people who can get pregnant have more abortions (as a percentage) than white or Hispanic folks? I encountered some people today who said that this couldn't be conclusively proven given that data is culled from public organizations or public clinics that black women are more likely to frequent, and that private clinics that serve more white clients aren't required to report their data. Any help on clarifying this? Thanks!

I looked at the Guttmacher Institute’s data collection methods from R.K. Jones et al.’s 2008 survey, Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients (PDF), and they sampled from all hospitals, clinics, and physicians offices that performed more than 25 abortions in 2005 (according to their 2006 census). They got usable responses from 10 hospitals and 85 nonhospital facilities. It was a survey, so patients did have the option not to take it, though facilities provided demographics for some patients who didn’t take it.

The CDC also did a survey in 2008, Abortion Surveillance —- United States, 2008. They gathered their data from states’ central health agencies voluntary reports, which which consist of data legally mandated to be reported by facilities in most states. Unfortunately, since collection of abortion data isn’t federally mandated, there isn’t a standardized format and the CDC doesn’t get reports from every state (for this survey, they didn’t get information from California, Maryland, and New Hampshire).

Then we have the National Vital Statistics System’s report, published this June: Estimated Pregnancy Rates and Rates of Pregnancy Outcomes for the United States, 1990-2008 (PDF). Abortion data in that report are collected by the CDC and adjusted to national totals compiled by the Guttmacher Institute from their surveys of all known providers.

There’s a lot of complicated stuff that goes into collecting and analyzing the data, and I’m no good at math, so I can’t check the way the Guttmacher Institute and the CDC weight and adjust their figures. I can tell you that the Guttmacher Institute’s surveys are more complete - the CDC always misses a few states because of reporting requirements, but the Guttmacher Institute sends out surveys to every abortion provider. Every state does it a little differently, too. New Jersey doesn’t require private physicians and women’s clinics to report their data, so the CDC’s information from their state is incomplete. That may be what your acquaintances were referring to.

Long story short, stick with the Guttmacher Institute’s data. It’s the most accurate representation of abortion demographics as of now.