The public dialogue around abortion and the reality of women's lives

Does the public dialogue around abortion bear any resemblance to women’s actual experiences? Not really, according to the latest issue of Because magazine.

Perhaps the greatest break from reality can be seen in reality TV. In her article “’Reality’ TV isn’t real life,” Mélodie Hunter notes the popularity of reality shows about teen motherhood – MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and its spin-off “Teen Mom” — even though their story lines contrast with the reality of teen pregnancy: while most pregnant teens on television keep their pregnancy and raise their children, in reality, nearly 30 percent of teen pregnancies end in abortion. Hunter asks, “Where are those stories?”

Read the full article here.

It’s not surprising television executives are wary of depicting adolescents’ real experiences with abortion, given the onslaught of anti-abortion legislation making its way through state houses around the country. Jennifer Daw Holloway notes in her summary that 15 states now have governors and legislatures that oppose abortion rights, and they are pushing for stronger restrictions on access to abortion. These proposals range from restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion to bans on abortion past 20 weeks in pregnancy.

Review the summary along with maps of existing restrictions.

With states like South Dakota and Texas mandating biased and misleading counseling for women seeking abortion, voters might assume that women might otherwise receive no counseling or emotional support from the health center performing her abortion. Like many restrictive policies, mandated counseling obscures the reality of abortion care and women’s experiences. In “By her side: abortion companionship and support,” Emily Klamer examines a range of approaches abortion providers have taken to ensure that a woman not only has the information she needs to make an informed decision about her pregnancy, but that she feels emotionally supported before, during and after the procedure.

Read the full article here.

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Source: http://www.ipas.org