I’m in a chronic pain group where several people who are on methotrexate have now been denied their medication because it’s dangerous in pregnancy x this is leaving people in agony this is barbaric!
I had a bad case of until then undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis a couple of years ago that basically had me lying in bed, crying and screaming for hours. At the hospital I almost fainted from the pain alone. It is now being treated and _much_ better, so the thought of having to return to that state for a reason like that is just horrifying!
If those people in your group have RA and were denied that medication, which I believe is a first line treatment that a rheumatologist would prescribe, then people who deny filling prescriptions are harming those patients and being careless with that life. RA is a progressive autoimmune disease that leads to damage of the joints and potentially other body organs if not treated. That pharmacists either don’t know that or don’t care and are willing to insert themselves into a persons course of treatment and their lives is just mind boggling. The doctor and patient decide on the best course of treatment, not the pharmacist. And again, methotrexate is a treatment rheumatologists rely on heavily and is more affordable than other RA drugs. Plus, some insurances would want a patient to start and fail with this med before they will pay for another type of medication.
@@jessicaanne3490 And not for anything, but there are WAAAY more people taking it for autoimmune conditions than for medical abortion. It's really a secondary use! smdh
@@gasparinha I didn’t even know it’s also prescribed for that, I’m on it for RA (as well as another immunosuppressive for Crohn’s disease). Luckily I live in Massachusetts anyways, but you never know what can happen- it’s just super f’d up imo that this was overturned and effecting so many people/states
Many drugs are dangerous to pregnancy. That's why the first question a doctor will ask you before prescribing a new drug is: " Is there any chance you may be pregnant ?" Does this mean women will be denied these medications? It's a horrible thought. I hope the folks in your group get the help they need.
I've had 12 miscarriages, & I wanted every baby. Unfortunately during two of my 12 miscarriages, I didn't pass the fetus naturally. So I had to be given "the pill" so I didn't need it surgically. Now I won't receive help, because I live in Missouri, & can't afford to live anywhere else. The government has no right to tell my doctor what is best for me. These babies born will not be healthy babies.
How completely heartbreaking. I'm so very sorry for each of your losses. Missouri is one of the top three worst states, reproductively speaking, so I don't doubt you have your work cut out for you, babe. You sound like you are very informed about your circumstances so I truly wish you all the best, as much luck as we can both muster, and most importantly all the safety in the world! Hugs and smiles, girl 🤗
I'm so sorry. Your experience is heartbreaking and I am so grateful you shared this ♡ women all over the country are ready to help women in forced birth states to help however needed. This shouldnt be necessary but we are still free to speak. Its "underground" but we arent silenced yet
@@TS-oz3ec yes, I know that. Under some of these laws, I could be charged with something. First it's ridiculous, second our justice system is broken, just like everything else is. The last thing we need is a parade of women who miscarried filling up the women's side of the prison. Anyone who supports these laws is just as responsible for the women who'll die, as if they murdered them by hand. I'm in Missouri by the way. At least it's not Texas. I'm near the Kansas border. So I can hop over. If I was in an ambulance though, it would stay in Missouri. So hopefully that's not needed again. Stay safe!
I'm so very sorry for your losses. I can't imagine your pain! I'm so sorry you live in a place where you won't have access to safe treatment for miscarriage. 😢
@@charityjolly901 thank you. I'm going through early menopause, because of my many gyno problems. Finally something good! Women shouldn't be put through this kind of pain. It's between a woman, & her medical staff. No one else. It's no one else's business what they do. They can answer to "god", or whatever. We don't answer to you. Doesn't that book you keep beating say something about judge not, lest you be judged. Just my opinion. Stay safe!
I am part of that very small percentage that had to terminate for medical reasons. I suffer through infertility so that baby was extremely wanted. I love him as much as i love my already living baby and I am still suffering through the grief and pain of knowing he couldn't survive outside of my body. Roe was overturned just a week after my termination and on top of dealing with the pain of having to let my sweet baby boy go i had to deal with people calling people like me a "baby killer". If you have never been in our shoes please refrain from having an opinion because it is extremely painful for us to deal with this situation without having to deal with half the country judging us for making a decision that doesn't even feel like a decision.
That's the thing; people tend to believe that the percentage is very low in regards to having an abortion due to medical reasons, so the laws don't care. I personally think abortion due to medical reasons is much more common as people may think and no-one goes under any medical procedures out of fun. Medical professionals should be involved in these matters and shouldn't any law be passed by people who have never been in the situation they make the law about!
I’m so very sorry you had to experience that. My son and DIL had 12 years of infertility. So I tend to be very pro life, but sometimes there are no answers to why things happen. Prayers up for you.
I got pregnant young and at a terrible time for my life. I had supportive parents and friends though no education, car, job, money, driver's license, good sense. I considered both abortion and adoption (I knew a well off couple who were looking for a baby) and I chose to keep my pregnancy. I don't regret it, he is my whole life. I am pro-choice because I got to decide to carry my pregnancy and was not forced into it. I am sickened that others will not have the rights that I did.
@Weirdodrawsstuff, but would those same people consider it inhuman to abort mouse embryos? Probably not. What is it you’re suggesting here? That pro-choice people value mice over blastocysts and embryos? Or even fetuses? Do you actually think mice have a place in this conversation, over women? Over social constructs that stigmatize women? Over financial instability? Over housing? Over educational opportunities? Over job opportunities? Over poverty? Over abuse? Over inept social service systems? Over private life altering choices? Over the health and life of women? Over families facing painful circumstances (families who wanted their pregnancies)? Mice? Blastocysts? Embryos? Real life? Fools with no sense of compassion nor any real sense of what life is like for millions and who are guided by a tiny and closed off world view? Mice?! - A religious person here. A religious person who understands mice have nothing to do with this conversation. But if you want to talk about mouse embryos I might engage further.
Technically my first pregnancy ended in abortion. The baby was planned and wanted. I sae the "heartbeat", it was supposes to be a good sign. A week later I had a miscarriage and since I had some "help" from a pill, it went down as an abortion. I can't believe it someone would deny me medicine for that... Thank god, I live in Estonia and in the 21st century when medical care is a human right.
I had a similar situation. I had a miscarriage at 11 weeks and had a D and C for safety reasons. Thank God it was in 2017. I doubt I'd get the same care now. These procedures need to be legal for those who need them.
@@YrkH8r like you, i had a missed miscarriage at 12 weeks and had a D&C. Thankful mine was in 2006 but worry about women in this situation going forward.
It probably would have been documented as an abortion anyway. I’ve had 2 miscarriages - thankfully (?), my body passed all the tissue so I didn’t need any intervention, but my documentation still says abortion. Miscarriages are commonly referred to as “spontaneous abortions” in paperwork. This whole thing is much more complicated than the general population understands and it makes me sick knowing situations will occur (and have already occurred) where someone is tried for having an abortion when they actually lost the baby. I can’t imagine the stress and added trauma of dealing with that on top of what is already experienced during a pregnancy loss. Hugs to you and all who commented saying they’ve had one as well 💙
Honey, even in medical terms a miscarriage is called a "spontaneous abortion". Just because your body needed partial medical assistance to literally keep you alive doesn't change the fact that your body knew the pregnancy wasn't viable and allowed itself to start healing on its own. I'm so very sorry this happened to you. I've never been pregnant so I don't understand the magnitude of pregnancy loss. But I do know that you don't deserve to carry an ounce of shame or stigma, not least of all because of semantics like wording, in your heart. Thank you for sharing your story and please be well ❤
One comment on abortion and future fertility; I wish you had clarified that LEGAL abortion shows no risk of causing later fertility issues. DIY or back-alley abortions DO pose a significant risk of causing significant damage that will very likely cause fertility issues. That is if the person survives.
I agree but I also understand why they didn't state that, they don't want to propagate that way of thinking from the past but unfortunately it may and probably will end up happening again. I am happy to learn recently of certain organization's raising money to help women from abortion banned states to get treated in another state by paying for travel and lodging and sometimes even the procedure itself. Hopefully these "people" setting these "laws" actually talk to doctors about actual facts instead of some bs they heard growing up in some cult, church, family or whatever. Science is real and that's what they should be basing these laws on not their bs fake beliefs. I hope one day things will change.
@@cassy2789 While I fully support organizations and groups to help people who need to get abortions into a state that will help them, it infuriates me that there is even a small bump in the road. These massive roadblocks have been placed there by people who this decision will never impact directly. These draconian bans will cause people to not get the medical care they need. Will cause people to die. Will cause poor people to become even more poor. Will cause abused people to be stuck with their abusers. Will doom children to be born into homes where they are not wanted or welcome and often be horribly abused. Meanwhile, politicians wives, daughters, girlfriends, and concubines will continue to easily travel to another state and stay at a nice hotel, dine at nice restaurants, go to the theater, get a safe abortion, go shopping, do some sightseeing, relax by the pool, read a nice book, etc.
@@BadHairdayKimmie I completely agree, it saddens me to see what's happening with these bans, a 10 year old SA survivor was turned away from getting an abortion. I don't understand how they can look at that little girl and tell her that she HAS to give birth to the child of her R@pest when she is a child herself, it's disgusting.
@@cassy2789 Especially because of how high the risk for serious complications is for people under 20. She could potentially die either during pregnancy or childbirth. This isn't even considering the other things that having a child while still a child can affect. Things like socioeconomic status, ability to attain any kind of higher education (or even just finishing her basic education), her ability to get a job that pays enough to support her and her child, finding a suitable relationship partner, and of course her overall mental health and well-being. These things could all be negatively impacted if she hadn't been able to get an abortion out of state.
@@peggedyourdad9560 I agree and that's precisely why I'm worried and saddened by that story and knowing it's going to continue with many other children, teens, adults and everything in between. I really hope we will be able to change all of this sooner than later. What ever happened to separation of church and state and our right to follow any religion without persecution in any sense of the word? Ugh it's so disheartening.
heck, even w/Roe v Wade in place, I've had access to standard, daily hormone therapy restricted (for dysmenorrhea - although was accused of lying to get birth control by all levels of practitioners, to the point of prescribing medication that would make my symptoms worse just to prove that I wasn't faking), so it isn't just the other birth control that will be further impeded. we've also already seen limitations on help with miscarriages - a mother, seeing the same doctor, was provided medication for the 1st miscarriage, but was forced to deal with the symptoms of the 2nd and 3rd for 2+ weeks each time with no help whatsoever. Shameful. Would love to leave TX, but if we all do, it'll just get worse
Lying to get birth control?? Were you at a religious-affiliated hospital? It’s really unfortunate that the medication isn’t known as “hormone therapy,” because it’s used for many, many reasons other than birth control.
"... to the point of prescribing medication that would make my symptoms worse just to prove I wasn't faking" Wow, way to just blatantly ignore the Hippocratic oath!
During pre-menopause my periods changed, they got very heavy and could be prolonged and lasted up to a month. Eventually I had my period for 6 months straight and was put on misoprostol for a month, which made it stop, but it started again 3 days off the medication. I then had an epithelial ablation. I'm afraid with our current situation they will take away the ability for women not only to use the medication, but to have an endometrial ablation because it makes you unable to get pregnant for a while. If you go get pregnant it causes extopic pregnancies, which are another concern because this would necessitate an abortion. The people making these laws have no medical expertise or even general knowledge and are putting so many women at risk.
Ectopic pregnancy treatment is not the same as elective abortion and every pro-life law makes clear that medical treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is not illegal.
Getting an abortion or not should be a personal choice. Against it? Don't get one. Gotta love how many who are "prolife" are against increasing underserved funding. Quit making urself think u're a baby savior. It's not like u're adopting, paying for, and raising every baby "saved" by ur hurtful words and judgement.
And people need to realize that some abortions are not a choice, they are medically necessary. A planned pregnancy can end in abortion. A wanted pregnancy can end in abortion. There are people who thought they would never have an abortion who found themselves needing an abortion. I hate that it's always framed as an issue of choice - I think that takes away from it. It makes it sound like it's always elective, or there is always another option, and sometimes there isn't.
@@___3988 Exactly. And if a person has never had to deal with that, I'm happy for you. But you don't live in someone else's life, so stop pretending you're a "better" person and would easily make the hypothetical choice in their real life shoes. The number of ignorant people who say "I would pick the baby's life anyway" just baffle me.
Amazing how those who are pro life don't give a flip what kind of life those babies will have once they are born, even if it means being without a parent
People who are Pro Life get abortions, too. A journalist who interviewed women who had had abortions found that they will still get them at about the same rate, but they always had a reason why their case was special and their abortion was necessary.
@@Absbabs88 What kind of life?? So you’re saying because one doesn’t know what kind of life one might have let just end that life? Having unwanted pregnancies shouldn’t be happening so often . If contraceptives are unaffordable then find out when you’re ovulating and abstain those few days . That’s not difficult to do and it’s free and it saves making a homicidal decision .
I live in the UK and the moment you flashed up that poor woman's photo I knew exactly who she was. It was a big news story here for months and left a considerable impression on me, as I'd have been a teenager at the time. I hope that you can get some proper rights enshrined into law over there and that it doesn't take a horrific situation like this to make it happen.
This was such a good and easy to understand way of highlighting all the issues that banning abortions leads to. I would add to myth number 5 that even non pregnant people could end up getting affected because certain medications for life threatening conditions can have the side effect of abortion. Like aren’t people with lupus being denied their necessary medication?
@fifinoir, yes, people with lupus are being denied treatments as are people with rheumatoid arthritis (methotrexate) and women with cancer. This is all just horrifying.
@@rosemariemerritt5035 I'm pretty sure if a woman has cancer she isn't planning on getting pregnant anytime soon, I'd imagine that's the least of her concerns at that point in time so being denied a medication that could make cancer more bareable is some bs.
@@peggedyourdad9560 some women find out they have cancer after they find out that they are pregnant, as well as women who find out that they have cancer while undergoing Fertility treatments. Bottom Line: who are you or anyone else to decide who gets what medical treatments or medications when you don't know that person's life and circumstance. And let's not be naiive here, birth control of any type is NOT 100% effective and, as such, pregnancy can still occur. If your desire is to save lives, perhaps focus on the children who are currently living in poverty or in Foster Care instead of one inserting oneself in another person's life.
17 yrs ago, I went to a an ER at a Catholic run hospital because that's the hospital that my ob-gyn was affiliated with. I found out that I was having a miscarriage. Since I didn't have any symptoms other than light spotting. I was sent home; told to gather the products of consumption and bring them to my doctor. I was also instructed to come back to the ER if I started bleeding profusely. The worry I had about carrying out the doctor's instructions was so traumatic. Since then, I have advocated for abortion even though my religious beliefs had been for exceptions for rape/incest, or mother's health. Mental health is health. If I had known that a miscarriage would have been treated as an abortion, I would have insisted on going to a different hospital, back then. People just don't know the extent of abortion laws.
This is just my assumption but I don’t think they were treating you as if you had deliberately aborted the fetus but depending on how far along you were when the miscarriage happened they may have been concerned about the fetus and placenta not passing on its own and you could have required a d and c. Though I completely understand how awful it is to see the miscarried fetus they sometimes want to check and make sure nothing got left behind bc it could cause severe infection or shock and lead to death.
I can't say how a pregnancy will affect a woman or her body, nor can I say how the loss of said pregnancy will affect her. This is why abortions should be legal, no matter the circumstances or reasons why it's needed.
Terminology needs to be changed. The medical term for a miscarriage is spontaneous abortion. Elective termination is not the same. However, both are terminated pregnancies. Both are abortions.
In the early 80s (before I existed) my mom had a miscarriage, unintentional of course. They labeled it as a natural abortion and so wasn't covered by healthcare. My parents are anti-abortion and this all upset her back then. I can't even imagine what things will be like now in some of these states.
@caitlyncarvalho7637Many disabled people have died without access to abortions because of how risky pregnancy is. Pro-choice, no forced abortions, no forced pregnancies, is the only reasonable response.
I was conceived with IVF because my mom and I carry a genetic disorder that would have killed my brothers within days of birth if my mom had not aborted them. I know our extra embryos went to huntington's disease research too. This has been a scary time for me because I know 50% of my male conceptions will die and in order to prevent that I need access to IVF and PGT.
I was pro choice before I had children; after my first pregnancy I became even more pro choice. I had a high risk pregnancy and the thought that other people would get to decide on the risks I’d have to take was mind boggling. I should be the only person to decide how much risk I want to take. My OB’s first advice to me was, an abortion is the safest end to this pregnancy, that said, I will support you and your decisions.
@@rubypeterson665 Someone in "the rest of the world " here to tell you most of us are pro-choice. And that some religions, e.g. Judaism & Islam, actually require abortion in certain cases.
A clarification about the medical emergency thing. Doctors can't act if the mother isn't in an immediate danger - meaning they can't act even when it is 100% certain she _will be_ if they wait and/or it's 100% certain the embryo/fetus will not survive no matter what. They have to wait until the situation gets that bad. That's exactly what happened to the Irish lady. They knew the fetus would not survive (zero chance) and they knew her situation would only get worse until she would be on the brink of death (and would die without intervention). At no point needs there be even the slightest hope the problem might disappear. They can't do anything even when there is exactly zero reason to wait and ALL the reasons to act as soon as possible (while the mother isn't _yet_ moments away from dying). And where do they draw the line? At a point where there is 2 hours left to save the patient? At the point when the patient DOES die and they can try to resuscitate them? And the patient won't start doing better immediately so it's insane to wait until the very line of life and death.
I keep telling people that the pregnant person has to be actively dying in order to get an abortion and by then it's too late to save her. I usually ask "Well do you want more orphaned children?" when talking about it because a lot of people getting abortions are already mothers.
We had a similar situation to Savita's in Poland after out Tribunal decided (2 years ago) that it's unconstitutional to have an abortion due to foetal deformities. A woman died because the doctors told her they have to wait for the foetus to die on its own before they can remove it - knowing full well that it WILL die. By this time sepsis got in and the woman died.
We have a huge problem in this country because both our justices and legislators are very ignorant of the science around pregnancy and abortion (or science in general but that is another issue). They are making decisions based on their religious beliefs and do not take into consideration any other information. We are in the grip of a large group of egotistical people who think they know all the answers about every subject before they even ask a question. In addition, a large portion of the general population is equally ignorant of the science, so they are easily swayed to follow religious doctrine.
I have an IUD and I can't believe this. I had this put in very soon after I had my children. The one time when you have this inserted is what they are worried about? Omg! It's in for years. Oral contraceptives affected me mentally and you run a much greater chance to forget one. In a perfect world we would be saving babies. I still want women to use birth control until they decide they are in a good place to get pregnant. However, leaving it up to the government to overstep. It's just not conceivable.
It makes me crazy the whole “abortion causes breast cancer” thing… if that were the case, would it not mean that every person who has had miscarriages would also be at risk? What makes the reason for the pregnancy’s end so special that the body knows the difference. This, more than anything, has to do with wanting to punish someone who’s had an abortion.
It doesn't a miscarriage is scientifically called a spontaneous abortion, so will women get cancer when their own body or God or whoever rejects the baby?
If I learned anything from the pandemic, facts don't matter to some people, but they're not idiots - it's all the scientists and doctors that are wrong.
In many medical circles, miscarriage is called a “spontaneous abortion”. Not to invalidate the heartbreak of a miscarriage, but to acknowledge that it it biologically and anatomically a similar process and the end of a pregnancy.
@@Kris_Huff-n-Puff that would be all medical circles - miscarriage is a social term, not a medical one. Medical professionals will use the term “miscarriage” when speaking to a patient to avoid confusion and/or offense to the patient, but that is the only reason why. In documentation and medical coding, spontaneous abortion is the proper term.
I went from growing up in a Catholic family that raised me to believe abortion was bad to becoming a pro-choice adult because of educational content like this. College really was a turning point for me in a lot of my beliefs because I met people who were kind and patient and would politely challenge my old views. Their kindness and openness made me listen and a lot of my old beliefs as a kid changed drastically. It just goes to show that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. You guys are doing a great job by having positive, educational content like this!
That's exactly why the right wing criticizes college, doesn't want people educated, and CERTAINLY doesn't want the gov't to assist with education in any way!
Sad that some people seem to care so much for a fetus only to allow it to be born into a state of suffering. Let alone the people who are suffering from having an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy.
@@malloryjines5050 Abortion absolutely affects men. What man wants to risk his partner's life because she has an ectopic pregnancy but the doctors won't touch her until she's nearly dead for fear of being charged with inducing an abortion? What about the couple that dreams of having a family, but want to wait until they are finished their education or more financially stable? What about the man whose partner is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in her 2nd trimester and they have to choose between her life and the baby? What about the men who just believe that a woman has equal rights to her body no matter his own situation of partnership/fatherhood/sexuality? Besides that we all have to stand up and fight for each other's rights and equality? Eta Pro choice is not pro abortion.
@@opulentpieyoga9079 An ectopic pregnancy is NOT VIABLE. It cannot survive. It’s not even considered to be a pregnancy. It has to be removed for the woman to survive. Don’t be ridiculous!
@@opulentpieyoga9079 Treating cancer and an ectopic pregnancy is saving the woman’s life. My own mother was in early pregnancy in 1960, had cervical cancer and had to have a hysterectomy. I don’t consider those cases to be abortion. If an ectopic kills a woman, it doesn’t do the fetus much good, now does it? But to choose an abortion because you’re not in a convenient time in life I believe is wrong. My opinion and MY CHOICE.
It is definitely happening. Just watched Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow (MSNBC). They gave a whole host of publicized and very disturbing cases of doctors who wouldn't perform an abortion due to fears that they would be criminally charged, so they did either did alternative and what appeared cruel proceedures or waited an extreme amount of time. I've also read that drugs like methytrexate for arthritis may not be prescribed in some states because it can be used in miscarriage.
This was really good. I already knew some of the stats, but I did not know that the "fetal heartbeat" wasn't actually measuring anything from the embryo. I wish that this could have been successfully argued in court to stop those laws from going into effect. People should have access to safe abortions at all points of their pregnancy.
Arguing it in court wouldn't have mattered. In Mississippi where I live, the supporters of the ban don't want facts. They just don't want anyone to ever have an abortion ever.
The fact that what you got from their video is that it isn’t measuring “anything” from the embryo proves how bad these people are at educating you. It is measuring early cardiac activity that has always been called the heartbeat, because that tissue goes on to become the heart. They are just changing definitions to fit their agenda. And, of course the ultrasound is making the sound, that’s what it’s function is, that doesn’t mean the sounds isn’t coming from the embryo/fetus, just that the machine is what enables us to hear it.
@@blacktigerpaw1 Right. Funny that wasn’t an argument until “heartbeat bills” became a thing. With or without a “heartbeat”, it is still a human life and has a right to not be killed. Call me old fashioned.
I've gone from totally anti-abortion (as a teenager) to completely pro-choice as an adult. Even when I was against abortion, the idea of the government or police asking a pregnant woman questions and possibly arresting them after a miscarriage, horrified me. (It has happened in other countries and is fixing to happen here in the US). If you feel so strongly that life begins at conception, then use your powers of persuasion on any pregnant women you know, but leave the laws out of it.
You’re silly to think you’d be arrested for a miscarriage . It’s a completely common thing to happen in some pregnancies. Many women have them . Please educate yourself on human reproduction.
My 1st pregnancy ended at 18 weeks in abortion. Spontaneous but still termed an abortion. I have an incompetent cervix and simply went into labor and delivered my daughter. I had to have a D&C to remove the placenta. I went on to have 3 healthy children with the aid of a cerclage. The same thing happened to one of my 1st cousins and we ended up later finding out that this affects half of the girls of my generation on my dad's side of the family. With the current political climate of today this scares me for my children - what if they are like me and go into labor early. What if they need a D&C because the placenta does not detach - will they become septic and die just because their body was not built to carry a pregnancy to term????
@@sweetexpressions320 Because performing that procedure is considered an abortion and would not be allowed per state law. The non-viable (dead) fetus came out, but not the placenta. Removing that part is not immediately considered a necessary medical procedure at that exact time. The laws are written badly and are too vague and that is only if it includes an exception for this situation, which sadly is not the case in all states. Edit: Meaning it is not clear and there is no way of knowing since it is case by case per the health of the pregnant individual.
@@sweetexpressions320 In other words, a woman could deliver a stillborn fetus in its entirety at home but retain the placenta. If she goes to the ER right away or to her OB/GYN the next day, performing a D&C under those circumstances is considered an abortion and many providers will be hesitant to perform it out of fear of legal consequences. The laws are too vaguely defined and it's still too soon to see how it will work in practical application. So if a miscarriage or stillbirth doesn't occur literally IN A HOSPITAL, we have no idea. And women are certainly going to die before we find out.
I was sexually assaulted resulting in a pregnancy and so glad that at that time the state I was living in allowed it (I was 8 weeks when I found out) but now they don't and it breaks my heart knowing that others will be forced to have a child that wasn't intended and so many other things I don't want to get into now but overall it's saddening. I now am married with four children (2 are mine, 2 are his from past relationships) and I thank God everyday I had that choice I could make for myself. I hope things eventually get reversed again but until then I'm afraid for our daughter's(3) futures if this type of stuff keeps happening. Next on the chopping block is ending gay marriage and ending contraception in general, I pray for our future, it's sad.
You're not alone. It's nice to see another survivor telling their story. Please keep telling your story, you are braver than I. I cannot tell my stories as it would probably get taken down for me putting too much detail in as I was a minor during most of it.
@@ladylaurus8493 I'm so very sorry you had to go through all of that, I understand and respect your decision and thank you for your kind words and encouragement it's greatly appreciated. I truly hope you're in a better place now and that you don't forget to take care of yourself, you're stronger and braver than you know. Much luv and respect to you and your journey.
It's awful you had to endure that and I'm happy you've managed to find someone who loves and cares for you. I'm also concerned for your daughter's, and every other female's, future if this kind of regression continues. I am a woman of reproductive age and I shudder to think if I somehow end up pregnant at this point in my life where I have no job, license, marriage partner, or even my own home (I live with my mom and siblings while I'm still a student). Luckily my state still has legal abortion and a Planned Parenthood clinic is close by in case of disaster. On a complete side note, your family sounds like a downsized version of the Brady Bunch lol.
They missed one of the most common one: abortion destroys a life. A fetus is alive, but that's not the issue. The issue is whether a fetus is a person. A person is at minimum someone or something that is conscious and sentient, which a fetus is not. Crash Course, sponsored by PBS did a great video on personhood here: watch?v=GxM9BZeRrUI
And I think the personhood argument is nonsensical and it fails on every level, for a few reasons first of all who determines personhood who determines who gets personhood and who doesn’t, and second of all person who is subjective.
@@pleaseenteraname1103 That doesn't mean the personhood argument is nonsensical. It just means there's no consensus. They're good questions. Since we can't come to an agreement, we shouldn't force our views on others. Vegans think cows have personhood and shouldn't be farmed. It would be insane if they got politicians to force their views on everyone. Yet here we are.
@@777Skeptic I don’t think it’s completely nonsensical, I think that’s far more interesting,Then debating whether or not it’s life, or a human, but I feel like it’s just completely arbitrary, and not a consistent argument because what does constitute personhood, and who determines personhood.
In the 80's, my mom had a coworker at an 'Independent Study' high school program she worked in that had had multiple abortions - and ended up having no luck with having a child when she was ready. My mom had me and my brothers believing that this woman brought the fertility issues on herself. Yes, my mom is also 'one of those people' who's fine with using forced pregnancy/birth as a 'consequence' of one's actions. I'm 32 now, and am deeply embarrassed by the notable history I hold of talking and thinking like her on subjects like this (she's also a delight on LGBT issues).
Sounds like your mom knew what she was talking about. Multiple abortions can make a woman infertile. They can damage her reproductive system. That’s a given. Abortions are more dangerous than most women understand. Perforated uteruses, etc. planned parenthood clinics are not the best places to go. Yet you are, thanks to your mom, here and alive as you said, along with your brothers. If you’re embarrassed at 32 years of age of your mother for giving you birth, then I’d be ashamed of you if you were my daughter. She gave you life. I’m a grandmother and the greatest joy of my life is having my children and grandchildren. Who cares what she thinks about LGBT issues. That’s HER OPINION, not yours. She (and I) are from a different generation.
same here except the person I can't talk to about abortion rights is my own twin sister that knows that I had an abortion 18 yrs ago at 7 weeks .... I love watching Rupauls drag race but I can't to her about it either because she doesn't care for the LGBT community either.
@@MsJimmysgirl dude, I can't imagine. My brothers still think more like my mom - but we were all born separately (though my first brother and I are close in age and shared a lot). Having that difference with a twin? I imagine there's even more shared experience. I'm not sure what to possibly say except I'm sorry...
My first pregnancy was growing but slowly and multiple ultrasounds did not show a heartbeat ever. at 10 weeks, I was told that the fetus was smaller than before and that my body was absorbing it. My doctor recommended a surgical abortion, but we agreed to wait a few weeks to see if my body took care of it first. at 12 weeks, I had a miscarriage going through all the stages of labor and being taken to the ER due to the levels of pain. The ER labeled the diagnosis as an abortion despite the fact that I never took any medication or had any procedure to end the pregnancy. If I had to do it again, I'd take the doctor's recommendation of the abortion to end an unviable pregnancy in a medical environment instead of having it happen at home at night without help.
The most worrying issue for me is the lack of exceptions for medical emergencies. This is why doctors need to be able to make these decisions. Women will die because of sepsis or untreated ectopic pregnancies.
A few commenters note having miscarriage complications and later observing "abortion" in their medical records, so I wanted to shed some light. In medicine, "abortion" is the universal term applied to all pregnancies that end before a usual delivery. (It can help to think of other uses of "abort" like the "astronauts aborted the mission"). That's why you hear the folks in the video say "elective abortion" or "induced abortion" &/or list the the types (medication abortion or procedural abortion). That distinguishes it from a non-elective end to pregnancy (aka miscarriage), called "spontaneous abortion" and there are several types of those: threatened, inevitable, incomplete, complete, missed and septic. Note that "chemical pregnancy" is used to describe a very early miscarriage, wherein one has a positive pregnancy test, but then later tests negative (the zygote or embryo doesn't develop past 5 weeks, so it could even be shed prior to suspecting & then testing for pregnancy if one isn't actively trying). I have heard this sometimes referred to as "chemical abortion" but mostly that's a term the anti-choice/forced-birth people use to mean medication abortion. There's also a term for repeated spontaneous abortion called "habitual abortion" - this describes repeated miscarriage (which may indicate certain particular medical concerns). It does*not* mean habitually conceiving and then seeking an elective induced abortion.
This is an excellent, educational, no-nonsense discussion on expected and possible effects of legislature involvement in healthcare (which is largely what is happening in a variety of states since the supreme court... well, messed up). Thanks PBS Vitals! Thanks Alok, Sheena, and Danielle for your expert perspectives!
@@betherthanever2055 seems like it at first. But there are 2 sides to every story. They want to steer away from the fact that it's a baby a woman is aborting and say the heartbeat sound is fake. Lol. And the baby cant feel pain bc it's not sentient(not aware). Okaaaay 👍👍. It sounds so ridiculous. They need to keep it real.
@@212latina Your comments are disappointing if you are a nurse... 😕 You either didn't watch the video given the fact that your issues were very clearly explained, or you are being dishonest yourself. It's okay to be uncomfortable with the reality of abortion. You don't have to ever get one yourself if you don't want to. But within the realm of science (of which medicine is a part, and which is being presented here) there are not "2 sides" in the colloquial sense you've used. If you're a nurse, you should know this and know better than to make false claims about medical science based on your own discomfort. That helps no one. I don't wish you ill will, but please engage in this serious, important issue that affects so many people in so many ways with more honesty...
Love this ❤️ im so sad for our country. Im expecting a baby girl in the fall and im so scared for her future. I’m even afraid to try getting pregnant again with a second baby… All of this is because people who are uneducated are the ones making the rules.
Uneducated, ignorant, heartless and cruel those are the people making decisions for everyone else. If I have abnormal bleeding I am considering flying out of the country to get care. I distrust these people because their cruelty and ignorance I could be acused of something and thrown in jail. I am sterile regardless but I distrust them
Here's the thing; people tend to believe that the percentage is very low in regards to having an abortion due to medical reasons, so the laws don't care. I personally think abortion due to medical reasons is much more common as people may think and no-one goes under any medical procedures out of fun. Medical professionals should be involved in these matters and shouldn't any law be passed by people who have never been in the situation they make the law about!
Legislatures should seek the guidance of medical professionals before passing restrictions on abortion, same for other medical procedures. The law should be quite clear that it makes exceptions for abortions for medical reasons. I believe that the pro-life and pro-choice sides can find common ground in this post-Roe world.
Except, wasn’t the doctor in this video trying to make the point that those situations are rare and pro-lifers use them as though they happen frequently?
@Laurel Erickson A lot more pregnancies do end well, at least once they get far enough along, than pregnancies that have extreme complications. However, it doesn't mean that no one is at risk of major complications. I believe she mentions in a different video of hers that the US has the highest maternal mortality rate of all developed countries.
Thank you guys so much!!!! I am so glad someone is speaking the truth for once. I am in healthcare and it’s so disheartening to see people not know the basics of anything relating to women’s health. Not a religious nut and not a conservative one either. Thank you so much! I am terrified of these trigger laws and getting pregnant because I live in Texas. I don’t have a period tracking app cuz they will track that. I have never been pregnant but I want babies very much. I’m allergic to most birth control so a barrier is literally only way to prevent. I’m terrified of getting pregnant and then miscarrying because of our state laws. I’ve heard that most miscarriages happen in the first trimester. Thank you for your video.
@@wendymtzc Education helps people to make informed decisions. Science debunks myths. Education allows a woman to make an informed choice about her own body. Education can create empathy and understanding so that choices can be treated as choices. You don't have to agree but you can't tell someone what to do when it comes to their life. Education fights ignorance. Education can create better circumstances. Science explains so that choices made make sense to the person choosing.
@@wendymtzc Tell that to the orphaned children of women who died due to coat hanger abortions, and will die like poor Savita did now that Roe has been overturned.
I'm not sold on that argument yet. It is alive. You don't get loving things from non loving things. I'm still learning though because I want to be informed.
I am a Christian that believes life begins at conception. But someone who has already lived beyond nine months and made connections in this world whose health is in danger should be placed above someone who has yet to be born
@@justagirl... most pro-lifers stand by the idea that both patients should be attempted to be saved. Abortion is never medically necessary and a c-section or induction can take place even if that means the death of the baby but not intentionally killing the child. An attempt should be made for both life and not just the mother is the general consensus.
@@justagirl... You would be surprised... many of those "pro-life" people have become radicalized to the point they believe the woman's life doesn't matter!
Glad to find an actual informative video from experts on abortion. Definitely something that I will be sharing. Thank you! I am looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Thank you so much for this video. It is so imperative to have accurate medical information from trusted sources that allows people to be informed. To have actual discussion with others who are willing to listen and be educated. I know I learned answers to question I didn’t know I had. I am grateful to have this as a resource I can lead others to.
I had a missed miscarriage. In order to prevent infection I had a D&C. The insurance company tried to not cover it because it was considered an abortion.
I prefer the term "pro-birthers", because this group of people is only interested in the embry/fetus until it's born. They couldn't care less after it's there.
And just what will that do? It won't change their stance. I have shared stories of people who died b/c the medical team was afraid to intervene (to which they either ignore or say "oh but that's so rare") and even showed some article recently that talked about 2 women in Ohio who were denied treatment for ectopic pregnancy (even though the law permits it) and one said she doesn't believe it's true or we would be hearing about it all over the media like we have roe v wade (and kept deleting my comments). I want to make them understand but it's no use. They are in denial and there is no changing it.
“More involved” in the second trimester is dismemberment. I am pro-life. That does not mean I am pro killing women. Sometimes to safe the mother, the foetus dies. The goal should be to safe both but because we don’t have technology to safe foetuses before viability, the earliest to survive was 21 week fetus.
@@eliannahankin2971 You are pro killing women even if you deny it. As this video explained, a legal exception for protecting the mothers life is a meaningless gesture that leaves doctors exposed to risk of prosecution for acting in a women's best interest. These laws encourage doctors to leave women to die.
To add to the flickering that they like to call a “heartbeat,” it can be caused by the placenta as well. I lost my first pregnancy just under 12 weeks, and the first ultrasound showed flickering…which was the placenta. The ultrasound tech told me it was the heartbeat and to relax. Sadly, she was wrong.
There's definitely lack of knowledge about abortion and the understanding. Education around this topic is definitely needed. Thankfully in the UK we have that "luxury" that women in Amercia don't. Sickening that a personal choice is a illegal action and a government choice 😕
The myth I've seen the most (lately at least) and the one that makes me the angriest is that women just cavalierly choose abortion as a form of birth control. The reason it makes me angry is that anti abortion propaganda uses this argument a lot. Choosing abortion is complicated and emotional no matter how you feel about the broader concept. That's why it should only be between the pregnant person and their unbiased healthcare provider.
I heard one woman who had multiple elective abortions when she was young, only to have kids later when she wanted to, decide afterward that she wanted to be anti-abortion because "the abortions were painful." My first question was, "And being pregnant, giving birth, and postpartum weren't painful?" Elective abortions are painful, and that's why so many women want to prevent pregnancy BEFORE it happens, not get pregnant, wait until nine months when they're stretched and already dealt with most of the pregnancy, and then decide to have an abortion when they'd have to give birth no matter what. We can't outlaw medical procedures because "they hurt." If you don't want to be pregnant, you'll probably accept the pain and want to end the pregnancy asap.
Leaving this comment to increase interaction and help boost the chances of this video being recommended to other YT users. Thank you for the informative video that doesnt sound or look preachy
Guess what MIGHT be linked to breast cancer - it's not abortion - it's having a root canal. My doctor told me scientists are now studying a link between oral health and breast cancer and they're currently analyzing women with a root canal on the left side of their mouth to see if there's a correlation between later developing breast cancer also on the left side of their body. It's fascinating.
Why do people hate women sooooo much, we bring life into this world and are expected to suffer in so many different ways. Like there is some sort of counter, how can we make them suffer today!!
I've also heard about patients not being able to access their medication because it can be used for medical abortions or is just likely to harm an embryo or fetus during pregnancy.
I don't see all these anti abortion protesters signing up to become state licensed foster homes.... 👀 When I was a CPS social worker I saw my fair share of what happens when children are born unwanted. It's sad and terrifying... Where were all these anti choice people when we needed placement for these abused and neglected kids 💔
So very correct! Every child has the right to be born wanted, lovingly expected and well cared for! If that can't be the case it's better for this child not to be born at all.
@@Freiya2011 So they'd be better off dead? To be clear, this was a very informative video, and I believe the concerns raised about the health of the mother and the ambiguity of abortion laws do need to be addressed. However, the "kids born in poverty" argument is, in my opinion, the WORST one on the pro-choice side. To illustrate, If you see a homeless collapse on the street, give him CPR and save his life, but you don't invite him to live with you, does that mean you don't care about homeless people? That you can't then criticize someone who stabs a homeless person? I 100% agree that children should be born wanted, and I totally support giving social services the capacity to take care of all children who lose their biological parents for one reason or other. Heck I don't know anyone who thinks orphans should just rot in the street. But that's a separate issue from "Can an unborn baby be terminated for any reason at any time prior to the cord being cut?"
Honestly, do we want people like that taking care of these kids anyway? Their lack of empathy and compassion is glaring. Also we need less religious fanatics, not more.
@@Regfife yeah I also believe that "unwanted children shouldn't be born" is a terrible argument. That's why I don't use it! I believe abortion is ALWAYS 100% moral, and forced birth is always 100% immoral, but I have other arguments to support it.
This is going to make those of us in my field (child welfare) so much more complicated and detrimental to children as well. I am guessing if things don't change the number of kiddos in care will sky rocket. The very points you made about economic fallout makes child welfare referrals and removals so much higher. Poverty has a direct link to higher numbers of maltreatment of children.
My parents had to terminate a wanted pregnancy between me & my brother due to a fetal diagnosis. My parents' firstborn (before me) had the same diagnosis but it wasn't detected until birth (wasn't part of routine screenings in the 80s. Today it would likely be found via routine screenings, and screening was available to mom in subsequent pregnancies once they knew she was high risk). They had to watch that first baby suffer for all 4 months of her life and refused to do that to another baby. Termination was so much kinder! Since I was screened as a fetus, I know that I am NOT a carrier for this like my mom is, so my own pregnancies aren't at elevated risk. I'm currently 7wks with my first pregnancy (planned) and holy cow my entire digestive system is like somebody poured Pepsi on its motherboard. All its signals are mixed up. Feeling nauseous means I'm hungry. Feeling constipated means I'm full. Feeling both at the same time means I was full an hour ago but now I'm hungry again. All the foods I like have been put into a randomizer that makes 75% of them disgusting but the randomizer changes which ones multiple times a day. I cannot fathom anyone being put thru this without 100% wanting to get to that finish line and get that baby as a motivator to get you thru it. Mad respect for surrogates rn
I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant. I have several autoimmune diseases that I was getting under control (including PCOS) and my boyfriend at the time had a vasectomy. I found out after getting blood work for my Endocrinologist and he spent over an hour with me (those of you who see specialists know this is not normal) going over what would have to happen to carry a pregnancy and what the risks looked like and it was not good news. At the end I asked him, who considered himself religious, what he would tell his daughter, he said that I should get an abortion and if I wanted to try again later we could support the pregnancy. I trusted my doctor and made my choice. The abortion hurt and took awhile to heal, after it .....all I felt was relief. The only shame I've ever felt was put on me by people that dont understand how personal it is. That shame was very short lived and again relief.
Thank you for the photo of the embryo at 6 weeks, and especially the chart comparing maternal death related to abortion and pregnancy. The numbers are shocking, especially given how casual anti-abortionists are in talking about pregnancy-as if there was no risk at all.
My favorite argument is "should have kept your knees closed" or some crap like that. They forget about people who are in situations where no isn't a good option but neither is a baby. They refuse to believe that people with medical conditions can accidentally become pregnant. Are they really telling me that someone who is taking psych medicine and can't handle life without them are not in medical crisis? Ugh
@@wendymtzc So you're ok with throw away babies. You're ok with dumpster infants. You're ok with a child living in foster care for 18 years then aged out with nothing. You're ok with people killing newly birthed infants then quickly burying them. You're ok with someone else raising your own responsibility. Learn about reality.
@Wendy K Yet there's many animals that abort their offspring if they feel they cannot care for them. You're saying animals have more of a choice in their body than human women?
Thank you so so so so much for compiling these things into a relatively short vido that is level headed and scientifically backed and talks about how the people affected will be very different from what I commonly see people imagine being the case! I'll share this. I hope everyone does.
Thanks for all the information. I have heard that medication for other conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis is being restricted due to these laws. Is this true?
Yes, we have heard stories like this. The LA Times reported that one Virginia-based patient had her medication suspended six days after the overturn of Roe vs Wade. The medication, methotrexate, is used to treat ectopic pregnancies (off-label) and can also be used for treating autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Confusion over laws or criminalization have caused some doctors to not prescribe or pharmacists to not fill methotrexate prescriptions, even in states like Virginia where abortion is not banned.
I'm not the type of person who would seek abortion (typically) but based on the laws in various states now and the punishments being suggested, put into law, I'm actually afraid to try to get pregnant at nearly 40 years old. If I was to get pregnant within the next 3 years or so (I'm 38) but have any complications such as a miscarriage and/or etopic pregnancy, I could end up going to prison or dying, just because of these laws.
I love the video very informative. However, I dread ever getting abnormal bleeding and needing medical care. If that happens I started putting money away to fly out of country to get care. I dread their ignorance and cruelty could put me in jail because they will want my medical data. A lot of other people dread this kind of situation also.
Wow. So what I was told were my babies heartbeats were actually the swishing noise created by the sonar itself. Professional sonogram technicians need to quit telling women and their significant others incorrect information.
What scares me is how you have to analyze these things to see where they fall on "fetilization." These abortion opponents are so nickle and dime with these laws that it becomes believable that they might legislate confining pregnant women to bed rest because a bad fall could cause an abortion and you can't necessarily prove if it was intentional or not. I've known so many young women who've faced tragedies with pregnancy and to compound that pain with blame? It's monstrous.
My cousin had to have a second trimester abortion due to severe fetal deformities in a very wanted pregnancy. She was able to have 2 beautiful boys later on. Forcing women to carry a non viable pregnancy to term is cruel. Basically as soon as the “baby” is born it dies. Very inhumane all around.
@@wendymtzc Many unwanted pregnancies are hidden until birth, then the new little infant is quickly killed, usually by the controlling male, and buried. No one ever knows. Looking at it from a realistic position, that infant has been saved from a lot of future abuse. People can be quite cruel to little kids.
The second someone uses emotion-driven, manipulative words like "baby" or worse, "baby killer" is the second they lose the right to be taken seriously An embryo is not a baby. A fetus is not a baby. That is medical fact, and calling it a baby does not make it a baby. Using words like that misrepresents reality. If you need to use dishonest language to get your point across, you should probably reconsider your position It's okay to be opposed to abortion if that's what you believe. What is not, and never will be, okay is lying or using manipulative language to try to sway people. Stop saying baby, it's not a baby, and your personal feelings do not change that
Um, this doctor literally called it a pregnancy. Not the condition, but what is in the pregnant person. That makes more sense to you than referring to an embryo and/or fetus as a baby? I’m sure you’re aware that it does become a baby, right? When women make baby announcements early in pregnancy, do you comment and tell them their language is inaccurate and it should read “Fetus #3 coming in April”?
@@laurelerickson2471 It becomes a baby. It is not a baby. Expecting parents may refer to it however they want, but that doesn't make it accurate. We're talking here about medical terminology and political legislation. A fetus is not a baby, an embryo is not a baby. It's that simple. Medical science is what needs to drive this discussion, not ideology or personal beliefs.
Wow the expert really dumbed it down for us. "In the 2nd method, u suction the pregnancy out." So what exactly is removed? I'm not a 1st grader. Explain it.
in another video an abortion worker told the story of an anti-abortion protester coming in for an abortion than she went back out again to continue protesting. I'm not judging. I'm curious as to her reasons for her actions. I want to understand.
@Gi Gi She was a protester before her abortion. The only reason I can think of is she thinks that she is an exception to the rule aka she gets a free pass while others don't deserve a free pass.
@@Missy-Missy1111 They always think they're the exception, they don't even think rules are for them, they're obviously just for the rest of us dangerous heathens.
I worked in hospitals as an RN from the late 70s to the mid-80s. Quite a few abortions were done in the hospital rather than in doctors' offices. Rather than listing the procedure as a surgical or therapeutic abortion on the surgery schedule posted at the nurses' station, they listed an abortion next to the patient's name as "D&C-". Strict confidentiality was not in place at that time and visitors who saw the surgery list figured out that the minus symbol meant an abortion. The hospital changed it to just D&C but changed the placement on the paper. If it was on the left side it was an actual D&C and if it was more to the right it was an abortion. Sounds crazy that anyone could see the schedule and see what patients were scheduled to have. Bob Smith is having his hemorrhoids out today, Mary Jones is having a bilateral mastectomy on Wednesday, etc.
When my mom found out she was pregnant with my sister (at her pro-op for her hysterectomy of all times) her doctor recommended the same thing. She worked at a Catholic hospital and the OBGYN said they would jsut say she had whatever and put her down as a D & C and no one would know. My mom said know, that she really wanted to carry teh baby to term and after deliver (via c-section) they could do the hysterectomy. But she also made my step-dad get snipped too.
Quality over quantity. If continuing with the pregnancy. Your child will have no quality of life . They will never progress further than a 4 month old . They sit in wheelchairs, can’t talk , can’t eat big themselves . Is that fair to let that child than grow into an adult , not living a life . Whose will look after them when their parents die
God, I just LOVE the way MDJ speaks. She is so caring and considerate and chooses her words ever so carefully so as to be ultra inclusive and non-harmful. You are my hero MDJ.
I had a miscarriage that my body still even with dnc at 9 mos my milk attempted to come in. That scared me more than the miscarriage. Of course the obgyn still put me through a bunch of checks for other reasons... it wasn't till many years later I realized wait. Those all happened around the miscarriage. Then had a beautiful daughter a few years later. And then menstrual migraines where I fired 4 obgyn for denying the correlation despite my diaries, despite a year of tracking... finally I got help I needed 5 yrs ago. And now time for iud to be replaced.. can't find care!
I don't understand why legislators feel the need to regulate a process that if it was unethical, would be banned by medical boards. Let doctors do their jobs!
A human being has to be a one of a kind being. So simple biology tells us that the zygote cell/conception or early embryo cannot already be a one of a kind human being Since 2 or more human beings can come from the same zygote cell/early embryo.
And with all this, I still can't help but wonder how they plan to find out in order to file charges against anyone. Doctor/Patient Confidentiality at least means they have to subpoena and I don't think there will be a large number of judges wo will.
