Why we Exist
Where there is abortion, there is unsuccessful abortion.
But where there is life, there is hope.
We are that hope.
We share stories and data to humanize survivors’ experiences. We promote policies that protect and serve abortion survivors, their families and friends.
Stories are Powerful
Until they can find and use their voices, we will…
Break the silence surrounding abortion survival.
Until they are protected, we will…
Be a voice for those vulnerable to abortion.
What we do
We have heard from thousands of people who are just like you or me, but they share something deeper, they are abortion survivors, women who experienced an abortion as well as women who experienced an abortion that was unsuccessful. We have heard from adoptive families. Friends and family of those who have experienced those surviving an abortion. Every single person that reaches out to us deserves support and hope.
We offer support through online communities for abortion survivors, mothers who have experienced unsuccessful abortions, and adoptive parents.
We provide resources and make referrals to support those impacted by unsuccessful abortions in order to find and use their voice. We encourage the acceptance of survivors in our culture and push back on the shame and discrimination they experience in our society.
We educate policymakers and peers about the rates of failed abortions and the needs of survivors and families by analyzing and interpreting research and data.
We connect survivors by sharing their stories and validating the experiences of others impacted by unsuccessful abortions. We inform the general public about unsuccessful abortion rates and the impact it has on abortion survivors, mothers, and families.
Our Mission
The Abortion Survivors Network empowers the abortion survivor community and those impacted by unsuccessful abortions.
How We’re Different
When people talk about or write about abortion survivors, born-alive infants, or failed abortions, they don’t always really know survivors or understand what a woman grappling with an unsuccessful abortion goes through.
They are not immersed in the research on the incidence, nor do they apply it to understand and inform the survivor population, mothers, and families.
They are not supported with information, resources, and referrals unique to their experience.
They don’t empower survivors to find and use their voices.
They don’t advocate for cultural understanding and policy that protects and provides for the best outcomes for abortion survivors, women experiencing unsuccessful abortions, and families. But that’s why we’re here.
This is our mission.
We are the experts on unsuccessful abortions, and we’re here to listen, to support, to educate, and to advocate.
Melissa Ohden
Our Founder
Research
Advocacy
Story-telling
You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers! We expose the reality of unsuccessful abortions and advocate for the needs of abortion survivors, mothers and families by rigorously analyzing research and data.
Don’t have a conversation about us without us. Or, as the advocacy saying goes, “Nothing about me without me.” Those impacted by unsuccessful abortions deserve a voice in conversations about abortion.
Don’t have a conversation about us without us. Or, as the advocacy saying goes, “Nothing about me without me.” Those impacted by unsuccessful abortions deserve a voice in conversations about abortion.
Our Team
Melissa Ohden
Founder and CEO
Alayna Shamo
Special Projects Associate
Alli Bowers
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Kara West
Social Worker
Sarah Moe
Public Affairs Consultant
Thea Barry
Outreach Coordinator
Emily Massey-Logan
Public Relations Consultant