After the US abolished the constitutional right to end unwanted pregnancies, women have been discussing their abortions.
Bronwen Davies (71) had three abortions during her 20s and 30s. She said that she never felt ashamed and that she was proud of them all.
She called the Supreme Court’s decision not to uphold Roe v Wade “barbaric”.
Natasha Davies (34), who sought an abortion during her 20s, stated that the ruling had left her “horrified. angry. upset.”
Bronwen, a mother to two grown-up kids and a resident of Cardiff, stated that “Now that my children are grown up, the least I can do is speak out about my experiences for younger women.”
She stated that there is still a huge stigma associated with having an abortion and talking about it.
“I have had three, and that isn’t something I have said to many people. I know that there is still a belief that you are wrong if you have had three abortions.”
Bronwen stated that she was unhappy with her pregnancies at 26 and 29 and 31.
Although she was medically advised not to take the contraceptive pill by her doctor, women of her generation didn’t have the same access to contraceptives, and the ones that were available weren’t foolproof.
She said, “I was able to get pregnant three times even though I wasn’t ready to be a mom yet.”
When she became pregnant, she was with a steady boyfriend. But she was not ready to settle down and it was “a tremendous shock.”
She stated, “It wasn’t the right moment for me to get pregnant and it wouldn’t be doing any favors to the child to give birth at that point.”
She claimed that she had told her GP she wanted to have an abortion.
She laughed at me, and said, “Oh no, I don’t believe so, you’re a perfectly healthy young lady, go away and have your child,”” she recalled.
The woman then visited a clinic in Cardiff run by the charity British Pregnancy Advisory Service and was forced to travel to England to have a surgical abortion.
She said, “I don’t want to be judged. Well, people can judge my, but I don’t feel ashamed.”
Bronwen is a member of Abortion Rights Cardiff. It was founded in 2013 by women who protested an anti-abortion group that had targeted an abortion clinic.
She stated that there were many tears in the group after Roe v Wade was overturned.
She said, “Even though this announcement was imminent, we were still quite tearful when we heard it that day.”
“It is barbaric, and it turns back the clock…
“Women will still be able to have abortions but they won’t be legal and they won’t be safe. Women will die.”
She stated that she was aware of all the arguments against abortion, but believed women should be able to make their own decisions.
She said, “It’s not an option anyone can make for someone else. It is a decision you must make for your own good.”
Natasha, 34-year-old from Cardiff, wanted an abortion after her 20-year-old contraception failed.
She said, “It wasn’t difficult for me to make the decision to have an abortion.”
“Personallly, I don’t want children. I’ve never wanted them and I definitely didn’t want them when I was in 20s.”
She described her experience trying to have an abortion as “not pleasant”.
Initially, she was told by her GP that she would like to continue with the pregnancy. She then discussed the possibility of booking a date scan. After learning that two doctors had to approve the abortion, she had to wait six weeks before she could see the second one.
“I was like, “Why?” She said, “This is my decision.”
It was terrifying.
“I felt already like my body was betraying me. It wasn’t planned. I wasn’t in charge of it. The thought that I would have six weeks to start experiencing morning sickness and other symptoms of pregnancy was terrifying.”
She miscarried while she was waiting for her second appointment.
It has been difficult for her to watch events in the US from her personal experience.
She said, “It’s frightening and it leaves me and many of my friends anxious about what could happen nearer home.”
“[I]m] horrified. I’m angry. I mean my heart just breaks for the women who have overnight had access to a very fundamental healthcare system taken away from them.
“Even though America is not our home, I believe it’s important to send a clear message that this is being condemned in the strongest terms possible from around the globe.
Women’s Equality Network of Wales (WEN), has written a letter to Jane Hutt MS, Wales’ Minister for Social Justice. It asks her to publicly condemn the appalling violation of human rights and to make representations to the UK government to ensure that Northern Ireland respects the right to abort.
The letter calls for the creation of buffer zones around abortion clinics and improvements in abortion provision in Wales.
The US Supreme Court allows individual states to restrict or ban abortions for pregnant women.
Roe v Wade ruled that pregnant women had the right to have an abortion within the first three months of pregnancy. Legal restrictions and bans were allowed in the second and third trimesters.
The court reversed the earlier ruling and states can now ban abortions before 12 weeks.
The US will not make abortion illegal by default. However, individual states will be able to decide whether or not to allow abortions.
Anti-abortion campaigners were thrilled by the decision.
They believe that all human beings, including embryos and fetuses, have the right to life and to achieve their potential.
A recent Pew survey revealed that 61% of Americans believe abortion should be legal all or mostly of the time. 37%, however, think it should be illegal all of the time.
Two doctors must approve of abortions that take place within the first 24 weeks in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Abortions after 24 Weeks are only allowed if the woman’s health is in peril, if there is a grave fetal abnormality, or if she is at high risk of serious physical and mental injury.
