What actually happens during an abortion?

Yesterday, Jezebel published an essay by Marie Solis called, “This Is a Story About Abortion, No One Will Read It.” I didn’t write it, but I could have. It’s the story of my life as a journalist.

Despite the fact that abortion is an ever-present subject of political debate, people don’t click on articles about it. This is the case with a lot of social issues, but especially with abortion, because there is so much abortion stigma in our culture. Even (and perhaps especially) people who consider themselves broadly supportive of abortion rights often prefer not to really think about it. Behind nearly every article I’ve written about abortion is months, sometimes years, of pitching and working to convince editors that the story is important.

This is exactly why abortion restrictions have proliferated over the last few decades. Only some (like the spate of six week bans that passed last year) are extreme enough to inspire public outcry. Otherwise, it’s hard to get people to care about abortion. Stigma aside, most abortion restrictions are also, frankly, boring. They’re all about minutiae. So they fly under the radar but have tremendous impact on people’s lives.

This is what inspired me to make ACCESS. People are curious about abortion. I know this because every time I tell someone I write about abortion, they end up peppering me with questions. So I’m answering those questions, one at a time, hoping audio will hook you in a way that print may not.

So, first up: you’ve heard a lot of things about abortion. How many of them were true? Now’s your chance to find out. In episode one, we’re tackling the biggest mystery first: what actually happens during an abortion? You can listen, and see photos of some of the medical instruments mentioned in the episode, here.

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Photos by Robin Marty