Stigma keeps people silent about their personal experiences, and silence feeds public complacency with political attacks and destructive myths. Help us say goodbye to stigma by learning more.

Abortion is a common and safe medical procedure. But abortion is surrounded by stigma in our society.
The Goodbye Stigma Summit
Watch powerful video "mic drops" from the Goodbye Stigma Summit event.
Tell Me More: Abortion Stigma
Tell Me More: Abortion Stigma
Planned Parenthood supporter Kenny Goldberg interviews Vice President of Strategy Rebecca Karpinski on a brief history of how abortion has become stigmatized and breaking the silence around abortion.
Jessie's Story
Jessie's Story
This young woman was terrified when she found out she was pregnant. But she was able to get the abortion care she needed at Planned Parenthood. She is sharing her story to end the shame and stigma surrounding this common medical procedure.
Erin's Story
Erin's Story
Erin explains how access to safe, legal abortion allowed her to finish college and law school, and fulfill her dreams and goals.
#ShoutYourAbortion stories
#ShoutYourAbortion stories
This woman turned to Planned Parenthood when she realized she was pregnant.
What You Should Know
- 1 in 4 American women will have an abortion by age 45.
- Abortion stigma is often linked to other forms of stigma in our society: stigma around women’s or teen sexuality, intimate partner violence, gender identity, mental health, or alcohol and drug use.
- Everyone’s abortion story is unique. How each of us experience abortion is affected by our culture, class, faith, personal circumstances, life experience, and what those around us say.
- Sharing stories is one of the most effective ways to reduce stigma and prejudice. As more people find safe ways to share their stories with friends and family, the harder it is to stigmatize abortion.
Myths and Facts About Abortion
Who has abortions?
About half of all pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended, and 4 in 10 of these are ended by medically safe, legal abortions — which means that all different sorts of people, of different ages, experience abortion. 60% of women seeking abortions already have children. 73% are religiously affiliated. 69% live in poverty. 88% have their abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Why do women have abortions?
The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. 75% of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; 73% say they cannot afford a child; 69% say that having a baby would interfere with work, school, or the ability to care for existing children; 48% say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner; and 38% have completed childbearing.
Is abortion dangerous?
A first-trimester abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with minimal risk. At any stage in gestation, carrying a pregnancy to term is more risky (at least 10x) than having a safe abortion. First-trimester abortions pose virtually no risk of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, birth defect, or preterm delivery or low birth weight (of subsequent pregnancies). Exhaustive reviews by panels convened by the U.S. and British governments have concluded that there is no association between abortion and breast cancer, or any other cancers. The risk of mental health problems is no greater for someone having a first-trimester abortion than if they carry the pregnancy to term.
Abortion Stories
- Sara: My Story of Care
- Slate: The Abortions We Don’t Talk About
- USA Today: I'm a Catholic obstetrician who had an abortion. This is not politics or religion. It's life.
- CareMatters: 1 in 4 American women will have an abortion by age 45
- Bustle: How Women’s Abortion Stories Are Shattering Stigma Around The Procedure
- Women's Health: 'I Had An Abortion At 23 Weeks—This Is What It Was Like'
- Cosmopolitan: How Abortion Makes It Onto Television: 10 TV Writers Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories
- The New Yorker: Why Its Become So Difficult to Get an Abortion
- CNN: 'Pro-voice' Replaces Judgment with Conversation
- Buzzfeed: 41 Things Abortion Providers Want You to Know
- CareMatters: Survivor of a pre-Roe v. Wade abortion
- Washington Post: Abortion can be a lonely experience, which is why I openly talk about mine
- Romper: Things no one will tell you about your abortion, but I will
- Glamour: Lindy West
- We Testify: Amanda William
- We Testify: Brittany Mostetter-Keith
- We Testify: Renee Bracey Sherman
- 1 in 3 Campaign: Alyssa
- The Belle Jar: I am a man and I had an abortion
- Why it’s become so hard to get an abortion
- Advocates for Youth: Abortion and Stigma
Abortion in the Media
- Truthout: Attempts to Restrict Insurance Coverage Are Abortion Stigma at Work
- Broadly: Here's How TV Depicted Abortion Stories This Year
- Bustle: The TV Shows That Addressed Abortion In 2018 Highlighted The Experiences Of Women Of Color
- Vanity Fair: How Jane the Virgin crafted the perfect abortion story line
- MTV News: Combating abortion stigma, one show at a time
- Bustle: How television handled abortion in 2016
- Abortion in Pop Culture: From “Fast Times” and “Maude” to “Dirty Dancing" and "Scandal"
- A24Films: Obvious Child
- Newsweek: My Life As An Abortion Provider
Intersection of Abortion and Religion
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