Two months into my marriage, I got pregnant. That left the both of us stressed and unhappy. Leaving aside the joy of being newlyweds, we started thinking about abortion.
“Everything I went through is still fresh in my memory,” says 24-year-old Mumbai student Sara about the time she had an abortion as a teenager. It was an unpleasant surprise to her that being in love could cause so much pain and trauma.
Ratan had been dating for a year when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant. They had no choice except abortion. Read how they rebuilt their relationship after the heart breaking incident…
This video is part of a global campaign “Step Into Our Stories, Step Into Our Shoes” for access to safe and legal abortion by Love Matters in partnership with WGNRR.
When Amanda visited a doctor for her abortion, she refused point blank. Abortion is banned in the Philippines, she told her. But as she handed over the prescription, it had a secret note for Amanda. ‘Call me after 4’, it said. Love Matters brings you a story from the Philippines where doctors are risking their lives to provide safe abortions to women.
Suman and Abhay were in their early 20s. They couldn’t even dream of having a child at their age. But Suman missed her periods and an abortion was necessary. However, was it possible to get an abortion without being married? They weren’t sure. Suman and Abhay decided to act married at the doctor’s clinic. They shared their story with Love Matters India.
‘It was what I wanted to do. It was my choice. Yet I felt guilty.' Love Matters brings you the stories of two women from South Korea and about a feeling of guilt after an abortion that they share with women around the world.
She did what many women before her have done, attempting a dangerous method to terminate her pregnancy at home. This never would have happened if abortion were legal in her country. Love Matters brings you the story of Elizabeth of Argentina but really she could be from anywhere around the world.
Her death shook Ireland. Women were angry. It could have been any of us, they said. Savita would not have died if she was allowed an abortion, they said. Love Matters brings you the story of an Indian woman, whose death led Ireland to free its women of a law that didn’t let them choose.
Abortion is a very hard choice. Only a few things can make it bearable. One of them is my doctor's complete support. Today we bring to you some conversations which make it difficult for women to seek safe abortion and request doctors, nurses and caregivers to help us change these conversations to help women get safe and quality healthcare.
To mark the Global Day for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion (28 September), Love Matters brings to you a handy guide to words and phrases that should be avoided when reporting about abortion, along with alternatives for these words.
As India’s first online platform providing blush-free information on sex and relationships, Love Matters India seeks to push for safer abortions in India by targeting the stigma around it. To enable that, we have launched a campaign called #IAmNotAlone - kya doge mera saath?
