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I won't tear people down based on their appearance. There are a lot of beautiful young women posting to #hotgirlsagainstabortion who are being told they're ugly.
What's ugly is the success of the anti-science, forced-birther, misogynistic misinformation campaign. 1/n
What's ugly is the success of the anti-science, forced-birther, misogynistic misinformation campaign. 1/n
The combination of a lack of science education, especially reproductive education, and use of coded language to shape opinions has led to a two or three generations (since the 80s) buying into the idea that it's ok to force other people into having an unwanted pregnancy. 2/n
Not only that, it's convinced many people with uteruses to believe that they should give up their bodily autonomy and human rights the moment a fertilized egg implants in their uterus. Or, at least, the poor or disabled ones should. 3/n
Abortion rights were hard won after its criminalization in the U.S. (1860 - 1973). The road was filled with the dead women, trans men, and non-binary people who couldn't access safe abortions like the wealthy could, including many "pro-life" politicians and devout Christians. 4/n
There are a lot of valid reasons people choose abortion, including:
•Rape/incest
•Gestating person's life or health is at risk
•Fetus has no chance of survival
•Poverty
•Disability or mental health
•Not ready to be a parent or have enough kids
•Or they don't want to
5/n
•Rape/incest
•Gestating person's life or health is at risk
•Fetus has no chance of survival
•Poverty
•Disability or mental health
•Not ready to be a parent or have enough kids
•Or they don't want to
5/n
"But they're killing babies," we're told. Are they?
Not really.
•A fertilized egg (zygote) isn't a baby
•An embryo isn't a baby
•A fetus isn't a baby until it's born (fetus is the term used from 9th until birth)
6/n
Not really.
•A fertilized egg (zygote) isn't a baby
•An embryo isn't a baby
•A fetus isn't a baby until it's born (fetus is the term used from 9th until birth)
6/n
Forcing someone who doesn't want to be pregnant to continue a pregnancy does harm people, though. Living, breathing people with rights and autonomy.
Even wanted pregnancies can permanently damage the physical and mental health of gestating people. It can even kill them.
7/n
Even wanted pregnancies can permanently damage the physical and mental health of gestating people. It can even kill them.
7/n
In 2017, the U.S. had the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world. In 2018, the CDC reported our maternal mortality rate was 17.4 deaths per 100,000 births. We rank 55th in maternal mortality according to the WHO. And it's getting worse. 8/n https://www.vox.com/2020/1/30/21113782/pregnancy-deaths-us-maternal-mortality-rate
But maybe you don't are about the pregnant person. Maybe you've decided that whatever the cause of their pregnancy, they should continue on, even at the risk of their mental health, physical health, or life.
Maybe you're convinced that abortion hurts the embryo or fetus.
9/n
Maybe you're convinced that abortion hurts the embryo or fetus.
9/n
Some more facts:
•That "heartbeat" is a pulsing tube in an embryo. The heart isn't shaped until the 9th week (4 chambers) and doesn't have fully formed muscles until the 20th week.
•A fetal brain cannot sense pain until between 22-27 weeks.
https://www.livescience.com/54774-fetal-pain-anesthesia.html
10/n
•That "heartbeat" is a pulsing tube in an embryo. The heart isn't shaped until the 9th week (4 chambers) and doesn't have fully formed muscles until the 20th week.
•A fetal brain cannot sense pain until between 22-27 weeks.
https://www.livescience.com/54774-fetal-pain-anesthesia.html
10/n
A study on fetal brain development and its experience of pain, as we understand it:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1440624/
11/n
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1440624/
11/n
The forced birther misinformation campaign (started in 1979 by Paul Weyrich and continued in the early 80s by Jerry Falwell) is intended to control people with uteruses, especially those living in or near poverty.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/26/evangelical-left-once-had-home-gop-what-happened/
12/n
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/26/evangelical-left-once-had-home-gop-what-happened/
12/n
The forced birther movement has been sadly and maddeningly effective at convincing many people over the last 2 or 3 generations to believe that they shouldn't value their own lives or that of others who fall pregnant.
13/n
13/n
They've convinced many young women to abdicate their own rights and forcefully negate the bodily autonomy of others. Bodily autonomy is sacrosanct to the point where even dead people's bodies cannot be used for organ donation without their consent prior to death.
14/n
14/n
Ultimately, it doesn't matter the reason someone became pregnant, or why someone might choose to terminate a pregnancy. What matters is human right to make choices for one's own body. The body of a living, breathing, (usually) grown person, not a *potential* baby.
15/n
15/n
Abortion is a human right. Abortion is healthcare. Legal, safe abortion performed in a medical facility by trained doctors saves lives. Legislating against a person's right to choose continues to harm not only people who seek abortions, but people with wanted pregnancies.
16/n
16/n
I am a person who has been pregnant 8 times.
I have miscarried wanted pregnancies.
I have chosen abortion.
I have given birth to two beautiful babies.
17/n
I have miscarried wanted pregnancies.
I have chosen abortion.
I have given birth to two beautiful babies.
17/n
This year, I had a D&E because my wanted pregnancy failed at 17 weeks.
In some states, anti-abortion laws could have made it extremely difficult or impossible to receive the care I needed to prevent sepsis and death.
Anti-abortion laws kill.
18/n https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/understanding-pregnancy-loss-in-the-context-of-abortion-restrictions-and-fetal-harm-laws/
In some states, anti-abortion laws could have made it extremely difficult or impossible to receive the care I needed to prevent sepsis and death.
Anti-abortion laws kill.
18/n https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/understanding-pregnancy-loss-in-the-context-of-abortion-restrictions-and-fetal-harm-laws/
Anti-abortion laws kill those who can't access safe abortions and follow-up care, as well as people whose pregnancies become unsafe, unviable, deadly.
They also lead to further regressive laws to control the bodies of people who aren't cis men.
https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2014/12/contraception-not-abortion-strategic-campaign-antiabortion-groups-persuade-public
19/n
They also lead to further regressive laws to control the bodies of people who aren't cis men.
https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2014/12/contraception-not-abortion-strategic-campaign-antiabortion-groups-persuade-public
19/n
Beyond anti-contraception, anti-abortion laws make criminals of people who miscarry.
Miscarriages happen spontaneously in 1 in 4 pregnancies in the 1st trimester, and 1 in 10 in the 2nd. It's so common, yet is criminalized in some parts of the U.S.
https://www.whijournal.com/article/S1049-3867(20)30023-2/fulltext
20/n
Miscarriages happen spontaneously in 1 in 4 pregnancies in the 1st trimester, and 1 in 10 in the 2nd. It's so common, yet is criminalized in some parts of the U.S.
https://www.whijournal.com/article/S1049-3867(20)30023-2/fulltext
20/n
Thus, when I see beautiful young women proclaiming themselves anti-abortion and anti-choice, I am dismayed and disheartened. It's clear they've bought into a host of carefully constructed lies. The "pro-life" movement doesn't care about life, only forced birth.
21/n
21/n
If you truly value life and wish to help reduce abortions, I encourage you instead to support:
•Comprehensive sex ed (incl. reproduction, fetal development, contraception options, consent, and various forms of sex that don't include ViP)
•Universal healthcare
22/n
•Comprehensive sex ed (incl. reproduction, fetal development, contraception options, consent, and various forms of sex that don't include ViP)
•Universal healthcare
22/n
•Access for all to contraceptives and sterilization (incl. IUDs, implants, tubal ligations, vasectomies)
•Subsidized childcare
•Free education from Pre-K through college
•Improved housing policies for low- and middle-income families
•Raise minimum wage to a living wage
23/n
•Subsidized childcare
•Free education from Pre-K through college
•Improved housing policies for low- and middle-income families
•Raise minimum wage to a living wage
23/n
You can legislate against abortion access until you've completely undone all feminist progress, but you'll never ever end abortions. People have sought them for thousands of years and will continue to do so, they'll just die more often without proper medical care.
24/n
24/n
If anyone tells me it's against God or the Bible?
The Bible contains a recipe for an abortifacient to be used if a woman is adulterous. It equates violence against a pregnant woman resulting in miscarriage as a loss of property. It also indicates life begins at 1st breath.
/25
The Bible contains a recipe for an abortifacient to be used if a woman is adulterous. It equates violence against a pregnant woman resulting in miscarriage as a loss of property. It also indicates life begins at 1st breath.
/25
