SHARE THIS SHOW:

RECENTLY ON TOL:

TOL Our Town

TAGS:

Rebroadcast: Abortion Stories

AIR DATE: Tuesday, December 30th 2008

Download the mp3 for this show.

What's behind the decision to terminate a pregnancy?

As We Are week continues tomorrow with Abortion Stories.

When this show aired back in September our hope was to foster a conversation with women about their decisions to have abortions, and the reverberations that followed. We wanted to stay away from the platitudes and abstract certainties of a highly politicized debate in favor of the ambiguities of personal experience.

Did we succeed? Listen, and let us know.

IMO, this is your best show so far.

I heartily encourage all (on both sides of the debate and even those who wonder why we get so serious about the topic) to listen to this rebroadcast. Food for thought for all.

tpohara — Tue Dec. 30th 1:13a.m.

I'm on the edge of tears listening to this program. I struggle with infertility and would give my left arm to get pregnant. However I can see where these ladies are coming from, and I cannot judge them. But it is still almost physically painful to hear this as someone who is incapable of conception.

HerOdyssey — Tue Dec. 30th 12:37p.m.

My husband and I tried to have a baby for over a year. I was 11 weeks pregnant when I had an ultra sound that indicated my child was missing an X chromosome. She was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome and we had an abortion at 16 weeks. This was 2 1/2 weeks go and the healing process is a painful journey. I loved that baby more then I can explain, but we decided that the best use of our information was to terminate the pregnancy, the pregnancy we had worked so hard to achieve. With the legalization of this procedure I was able to safely change the future lives of my entire family. As hard as this decision was, going to full term would have been so much harder for the rest of all our lives.

carolineleanne — Tue Dec. 30th 12:44p.m.

I thought people would find this site helpful: I'mNotSorry.net is a site where women can share their positive experiences with abortion at http://www.imnotsorry.net/

OregonNeighbor — Tue Dec. 30th 12:52p.m.

It's quite helpful & resourceful, actually. Thank you for providing the link.

DamosA — Tue Dec. 30th 1p.m.

It is an incredibly good thing that you are airing an open conversation about abortion! You asked many of the REAL, the HARD questions that are inescapable. I applaud the courage and honesty of the women who shared their stories. www.abortionchangesyou.com

vickilynn — Tue Dec. 30th 1:04p.m.

As a male who has experienced the trauma of abortion with two separate women whom I deeply loved at the time...and can still say I hold them both in high regard today after nearly 35 plus years. These were both, torn decisions (we made)during our late teens and latter twenties which were influenced from all angles of a family planning perspective. Listening to your program this morning was very enlightening to hear another perspective other than mine or my past mates. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't ponder the thoughts of, "what if we didn't make that mutual decision some nearly 35 plus years ago and the impact it ultimately would have made on both of our lives." I ended up marrying the first women five years later which unfortunately ended in divorce. The second woman and I had a mutually consenting three year relationship, so neither of these encounters were one night stands by any regard.
Your (Think Out Loud) broadcast reinforced why I am so positive that each case is specific to each person and/or couple involved and that they (and only they) need to be able to make their informed decisions without the burden of political and or a moral majority bias.
This (Think Out Loud) production merely touched the tip of the proverbial Iceberg and was one of the most enlightening broadcasts yet for me. My heart goes out to those women on your program and the others who have had to make those very complex decisions. My observations are based merely from a support role perspective.... so I really have no clue of the realities from a female perspective. I only know how my mates dealt with the situation and they were some of the more difficult decisions ever made, by both of them. I just know that they have my total support, compassion and empathy.
In summary, this was a wonderful example of, "Thinking Out Loud" on controversial topics. Well Done OPB...as usual!!!

caseypons — Tue Dec. 30th 2:02p.m.

First it is fair to acknowlege as a practicing Catholic and mother of four that I could never see myself having an abortion, or encouraging anyone to have one. When faced with the possibility that our last child might have a genetic defect, a cousin thought that we were having advanced testing to prepare for an abortion. I told her "No", that if were going to have a handicapped child, I wanted to know and be prepared for how to deal with all the potential ramifications." Today I would do anything I could to support a woman to bring a pregnancy to fruition.
That said, I have great compassion for any woman/couple faced with this dilemma due to life circumstances or genetic health of the child, and have learned not to judge them. Years ago in a counseling support group setting, I met many women who had had abortions, some up to 5. In nearly all those cases, they saw abortion as their ONLY option at the time. Often along with other life issues, potential loss of the BF or even husband was a primary cause of the choice to abort. None of those women had a strong sense of self esteem, and it became clear to me that if each did not value her own life, how could she possibly value the life of her unborn child? Understanding this has fueled my compassion ever since. None of these women were glad for their choices, and most regretted them deeply.
This summer I had the opportunity to work with a women's healing group. One 40-something woman shared that in order to have chosen abortion due to her life circumstance, she had had to ..."lock up her 'love place'". Her confession affected me deeply, and I was honored to hold her, witness and grieve with her. Another young woman was facing a newly confirmed unplanned pregnancy. With the news just a week old, she was now showing signs of potential miscarriage. When asked how she would feel if she did lose the pregnancy, she expressed sadness and loss. I gently asked if she might feel even some relief. She became indignant, stating, "No! My 'mom gene' has already kicked in!" I can only imagine that these feelings might be real for any woman facing the choice from life circumstance or even genetic health reasons.
When listening to the first guest share her story, and with dismay note that most of the abortion attempts/techniques could have cost her her life, the irony was clear that at some level it was ok to end the life of the baby, but that she was not ready/willing to give up her own. Again, I consider these observations with great compassion.

Heather HAnnam — Tue Dec. 30th 3:02p.m.

Excellent program. I now know how individual and complex a decision for or against having an abortion is. Great thanks to the women who participated, for expanding my understanding of the issue.

revmikel@silcom.com — Wed Dec. 31st 1:15p.m.

Comments are now closed.