Women have contacted us from across the country. We have photographed and heard the stories of women from British Colombia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Sometimes we are able to travel to women. Sometimes they come to us.
We have not journeyed to the east coast yet but these stories are an incredibly important part of abortion rights in Canada. Women from Prince Edward Island must travel out of province for the procedure. In New Brunswick, the government refuses to cover clinic abortions. The struggle continues.
We WILL get to the east coast soon. Until then, these are the stories of some women from Eastern Canada.
Whitefeather
I want to break down any stereotypes about the “types” of women who have abortions or work to protect abortion rights (i.e. ignorant, victimized, man-haters). I am well educated, informed, empowered and have a family that includes a planned child.
I had some emotional support from my family, as well as full coverage through medicare. ALSO, most importantly, my family doctor was a feminist and acted quickly both times to make sure that I had the best care possible. This is the way abortion access should be, but things have changed now and women in New Brunswick do not have empowered, informed and healthy experiences like I had, for the most part. I did not have to deal with any aggressive religious protestors, I did not have to deal with unweildy costs when I was already financially unstable, I did not have to deal with any unreasonable waiting times, I did not have to deal with shame or victimization. My experiences were the best that they could be, given the experience. I was relieved and grateful. I was also emotionally vulnerable at the time, but got through it quickly. I have no scars or baggage around my experience. This is the kind of experience I’d like to see all women be able to have.
I had full access, although the legislation that states that it had to be a therapeutic abortion approved by two doctors was a definite intimidating threat at first. If my doctor had not been a compassionate feminist, I don’t know what would have happened. She considered the abortion to be therapeutic for my mental and emotional wellbeing, but the term ‘therapeutic’ and the legislation is all very loosely outlined and open to the individual doctors’ discretion. I know that this has limited access for other women in the province – friends of mine with less compassionate, more religious doctors.
Wendy
My right to choose, your right to choose, though supported through laws and conventions, seems to constantly be in jeopardy. Why does this continue to be at the whim of those least directly affected on a personal level? Why do women and womens’ groups have to perpetually wage a war of wills around our rights, our access, our value? How many generations will this take? Will it surprise the general population that women who have had abortions don’t look particularly heinous, cold, or ruthless; that they look like your mom, your sister, your daughter, your friend? Will my photograph and/or story help move this forward? I don’t know though I would like to say I expect so. Today it seems that this is a right decision for me. Here and now is a good time to say, yes.
My first abortion was in a hospital where I was screened through a TA committee and the second was in a clinic. They were very different experiences. My partner was with me during the process of the first abortion although hospital processes did not allow him much participation; nor did he want to be, for that matter, as he and I were not yet invested in the relationship. The nurses I encountered during the experience were very warm, informative, and supportive. Looking back, they were the only real support I felt. The doctors were not supportive and I had quite an negative interaction with one of them – this happened to occur while he sat between my legs giving me an internal exam – belittling, offensive, worthy of a heel slipping out of the stirrup (which it did only inside my head). As the hospital I was attending was a teaching hospital, doctors on rotation performed abortions. Not all of them supported a woman’s right to choose. My first doctor, who performed my internal exam in order to determine how far into the pregnancy I was, was obviously challenged by his role on this earth. As he sat between my legs (you know the set up) he looked up at the nurse and, I quote, said ?I have an amusing sexist joke to tell you?. I remember anger and humiliation and utter helplessness. He had already made it clear that he had power and I did not. I believed that my access to that abortion hinged on his yay or nay. He gave me a stern lecture on birth control and told me that he would prescribe birth control pills for me. He made certain to point out that I would be prescribed the 28 day packet (surely women in need of abortions could not be trusted to properly ingest pills in a 21 day packet).
Though it is now quite a long time ago and some of my memories are gone, I remember feeling very daunted by the screening of the Therapeutic Abortion Committee at the Hospital. It was clear to me, at every step, that the process could be denied to me. Such a momentous decision about my life in the hands of others; people who did not know me, people who went home at the end of the day after having done their jobs. I remember being quite frightened. I don’t remember talking with anyone about these feelings.
I am pro-choice…because I breathe, how could I be other?
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