By Sofia T.
What is abortion stigma?
Abortion stigma is the “social process of devaluing those people who have had abortions or those associated with abortion,” according to The International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma (Inroads). Abortion stigma perpetuates the view that abortion is immoral and dangerous, and that people who have abortions are deserving of shame, punishment, and even criminalization.
Abortion stigma is one of the many manifestations of the cultural values of patriarchy and white supremacy. At its core, abortion stigma is a desire to restrict bodily autonomy, punish or pathologize people for not conforming to restrictive gender roles, and police people’s bodies.
These negative core beliefs about abortion are not just specific to stigmatizing abortion – the denial of bodily autonomy and forced, binary gender are deeply rooted in colonial gender roles, and cannot be separated from all other forms of stigma and oppression that impact marginalized people. In other words, hetero-normative gender roles are forced onto us in the same way that strict categories of race, sexuality, and nationality are.
Popular media — specifically television, movies, news, and social media sources — hold tremendous power in shaping public attitudes, spreading information, and acting as a reflection of broader cultural messages and values. Abortion can be a personal and often misunderstood subject, and mainstream media plays a significant role in shaping public attitudes and beliefs about it.
TV shows and movies often show abortion in a very negative light, and often portray abortion as some form of “punishment” in the plot for abortion seekers. At the same time, news outlets frequently portray abortion in ways that perpetuate misinformation and stigma. By examining where abortion stigma comes from, its roots and impact, we can understand how these views are then reflected by individuals.
Media Myth: Misinformation About Safety
One of the most common issues in media portrayals of abortion is the spread of misinformation regarding its safety. Many TV shows and movies depict abortions as dangerous procedures with frequent and severe complications. In addition to conveying misleading attitudes that could prevent people from making informed health decisions, these misrepresentations reinforce the spread of disinformation online. While misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information, disinformation is ‘false information that is deliberately intended to mislead.’ For example, social media and search engine companies such as Facebook and Google have spread disinformation by allowing the circulation of ads that promote dangerous and unproven ‘abortion pill reversal’ procedures, and circulating false information spread by ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ – fake clinics that often pose as abortion clinics to reach and manipulate people seeking abortions into carrying their pregnancy to term.
In reality, abortion is one of the safest outpatient procedures in the United States, with a complication rate of less than 2%. Compare that with the complication rate of common procedures like a root canal, at 2–14%, and the disinformation surrounding the ‘safety’ of abortion is even more apparent. These inaccurate portrayals can lead to fear, misunderstanding, and anti-abortion policy, as well as discouraging people from seeking necessary reproductive healthcare.
Media Myth: Negative Moral & Religious Judgments
Media often reinforces harmful stereotypes surrounding marginalized communities and abortion seekers, by casting individuals who seek abortions in negative judgments. Characters in TV shows and movies who have abortions are frequently depicted as morally flawed or irresponsible, needing to ‘change their ways’ after an abortion ‘wake up call’, and perpetuating the idea that abortion is a source of shame or punishment. This moral framing can lead to internalized shame for those who have abortions, contributing to cultural and legal barriers to accessing abortion services.
Similar to race, sexuality, and gender, the moral judgment stigma surrounding abortion in the U.S. are very related to religious institutions and ideologies, namely Christinianity and Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is a popular fundamentalist, white supremacist interpretation of Christian values which relegates women, Black and Indigenous people, immigrants, disabled folks, and other marginalized communities to second-class citizenship. Religious stigma spreads harmful judgemental narratives, based on a core belief that ‘women’ specifically have a distinct role in motherhood and submission to (white) men.
Media Myth: Misrepresentation of People Who Have Abortions
Another significant issue is the misrepresentation of those who actually have abortions. Media narratives often prioritize the stories of higher-income white women, ignoring the diverse experiences of people from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds.
In real life, some of the most common reasons people name for having abortions include not being financially prepared for a child, deciding it is the wrong time, experiencing partner-related issues, or needing to focus on children they already have. Unlike on TV, where the most common reason for a character’s abortion is choosing to focus on their future. In addition, most TV depictions of abortion lack any consideration for the elements of privilege required to access a safe abortion.
By ignoring the financial, logistical, and procedural barriers that are disproportionately faced by BIPOC, lower-income, rural, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities, mainstream media suggests that these experiences either do not exist or are not worth sharing. Prioritizing the stories of wealthy white women not only devalues the lived experience of marginalized people, but also contributes to the misconception that abortion access is purely a matter of personal ‘choice’ and not a systemic issue and the denial of fundamental human rights..
The Power of Positive Narratives
Despite these negative portrayals, the media also has the power to challenge stigma and promote understanding through positive and accurate narratives. And more importantly, we as community members and reproductive justice advocates have the power to shift language and culture away from abortion stigma. Using de-stigmatizing and affirming language when discussing abortion can make a significant difference. Here are a few examples of how to shift the language:
- – Anti-abortion instead of“Pro-life”: People who oppose abortion do not care about the lives of pregnant people nor the lives of children. They are anti-abortion, and there’s nothing “pro-life” about that.
- – Sexual and Reproductive Health instead of “Women’s health”: Women’s health is a gendered term that broadly refers to sexual and reproductive health. Along with being a gendered term, it also is not very specific. It’s best when replaced with the name of the specific type of healthcare referenced, such as ‘abortion care’. Naming abortion also helps to normalize it!
- – Pregnant Person or People instead of “Mother” or “pregnant woman”: Not everyone with a uterus is a woman, and not every pregnant person is a mother. It’s important to remember that there are trans and nonbinary pregnant folks, and there are also individuals such as minora who become pregnant due to abusive or oppressive means that are not “women.”
- – Autonomy / Access instead of “Choice”: Any language that focuses on ‘choice’ in communicating views on abortion minimizes the serious barriers that prevent marginalized people from having an abortion. We know without hesitation that having an abortion is not as simple as ‘choosing’ to have one, because what is “choice” if you have no access?
- – Embryo or Fetus instead of “Unborn child”: Unborn child is a scientifically inaccurate term that is impossible to define accurately. The term ‘embryo’ refers to a product of conception (from conception to 8 weeks gestation) and ‘fetus’ (sometimes spelled ‘foetus’) refers to the products of conception from 8 weeks gestation-onwards.
- – Restricted instead of “Illegal”: Talking about people who have ‘illegal abortions’ casts negative criminal judgments on people who have abortions in areas where abortion is restricted. No human being is ‘illegal’, and accessing vital reproductive care such as abortion should not be criminalized.
For more helpful information on abortion and language, check out this language guide resource we put together with the Transgender Law Center for journalists.
Building a Supportive Community
Changing the narrative around abortion requires grassroots community effort. By centering marginalized voices, Black, Indigenous, TLGBQ+ folks, and people of color, and building communities of care, we can work towards a more accurate and empathetic understanding of abortion. Supporting each other in sharing truthful and empowering information, and hosting community events like zine-making to bust stigma, is crucial in the fight against stigma and misinformation.
One of the best ways to fight abortion stigma is to support your local abortion fund. Not only do we provide thousands of people with abortion access every year, but we also hold a number of events and programming to challenge abortion stigma and misinformation. Some ways to stand in solidarity against abortion stigma are:
- – Donate to your local abortion fund. At ARC-Southeast you can give a one-time donation, or select a monthly gift to provide ongoing reliable assistance as the needs for abortion seekers dramatically increase.
- – Spread the word. We have to PUBLICLY support reproductive justice organizations that provide direct aid to those in need, such as ARC-Southeast, the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, Midwest Access Coalition, and the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund. The stigma across the South is loud, organized, and public, so we have to be just as loud to help folks find the abortion resources that exist. Something as simple as sharing a social media post could help someone learn about the crucial services abortion funds offer!
- – Systemic solutions to systemic issues. Advocate for systemic policy change, like Medicaid coverage of abortion, unrestricted universal healthcare, and the Reproductive Freedom Act to address inequities at the root. We know that direct and mutual aid are only temporary solutions to deeper rooted capitalist inequality.
- – Push back against abortion stigma. Whenever you encounter it, in your church, on the bus, or online, try to combat it with facts, truth, and resources. The truth is our weapon, so study and know your stuff so you can combat stigma!
- – Support Plan B: Southeast. You can support ARC-Southeast’s emergency contraception program, Plan B: Southeast, by registering your business or community space as a Plan B outpost! We distribute free emergency contraception throughout the community by partnering with local businesses across the Southeast.
Abortion access should not depend on charity, but rather be fully funded through our healthcare system. Abortion funds are fulfilling a role that the state should be doing, and abortion stigma helps distract us from that reality. Until we have full reproductive justice, abortion funds will be on the frontlines providing a vital lifeline to those most in need.
Join in solidarity with our vision of reproductive justice for all!