Uncloaking the Taboos on Contraception and Abortion
On October 04, Dr Michelle Frank conducted a TweetChat with guest My body, My Choice India on the topic of “Uncloaking the Taboos on Contraception and Abortion” on Safecity’s Twitter handle @pinthecreep.
The TweetChat commenced with the question about the limitations that women experience in their access to contraception. The participants felt that the limitations include a lack of knowledge and limited access to contraception among women. The second question was about the common myths related to abortions. According to the participants, the common myths include fear of infertility and the feelings of intense grief, regret and depression after an abortion. The third question was how do the taboos on contraception and abortion affect a woman’s autonomy. The taboos and stigma that surround contraception and abortion impact how women access these services. Feelings of shame and being judged are extremely disempowering and often manifest in situations where women continue with unwanted pregnancies or seek clandestine abortions.
The next question was what risks are women exposed to when they are unable to access safe abortions. The participants stated that women are exposed to serious health conditions which sometimes can be fatal too. The fifth question was what large scale changes need to be made to include a woman’s right to her body. The response received implies that many policies and laws need to be implemented and women should know about their rights. The last question was how can we, on a community level, advocate for women to make informed choices relating to their bodies and general well being. The general opinion agreed upon was informing women about their rights, telling them that abortion is just part of contraception and changes should be made in the abortion act.
A TweetChat by Dr Michelle Frank