How You Can Be An Ally
Don’t have a conversation about us without us. Or, as the advocacy saying goes, “Nothing about me without me.”
Abortion survivors, mothers, and adoptive families deserve to be supported and heard.
Imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes and have abortion and abortion survival discussed the way that it is–at its best, it’s discussed as if it’s only affecting a handful of people who haven’t lived long to share their story–at its worst, it’s discussed as a fake experience created for attention or to attack abortion.
Imagine how dehumanizing this is.
Think about how marginalized people need to be supported and included in interviews, projects, and policy discussions. Do your due diligence to carry this out with abortion survivors, mothers, and families.
Led by an abortion survivor, The Abortion Survivors Network is connected to the experiences, needs, and strengths of abortion survivors. We can provide answers, data, and connections to those affected by unsuccessful abortions.
01
Include Us But Don’t Speak For Us
When writing about abortion survivors, include survivors. Ask permission to include quotes or photos. Contact ASN for stories, survivors, or mothers to interview or a staff member’s expert voice. Remember that as you talk about abortion and abortion policy, abortion survivors are the living victims of abortion. Empower survivors by keeping this in the back of your mind. They have strengths and resilience, but they deserve to be acknowledged for their suffering. Don’t treat survivors and those impacted by unsuccessful abortions as clickbait in articles, posts, or projects; see them for who they are–human beings deeply affected by abortion–support them and empower them.
02
Maximize Your Advocacy Storytelling
Pair data with stories to best educate people on unsuccessful abortion and its impact. Our Resources page has the most complete data and research analysis.
03
Listen and Learn
Actively listen to the experiences of abortion survivors, women who have experienced failed, stopped, and reversed abortions, and adoptive parents of survivors. Be open to learning about their perspectives and struggles without judgment.
04
Educate Yourself
Take the initiative to learn about this population's history, challenges, and achievements. Recognize the diversity of abortion survival experiences and the number of people impacted by every unsuccessful abortion. Behind the term “abortion survivor,” there’s a mother, a father, family members affected, abortion clinic workers, abortionists, medical professionals, adoptive parents, and adoption professionals.
05
Self-Reflect
Examine your own biases and privileges surrounding the survivor population. Recognize how your actions or words may inadvertently perpetuate continued marginalization or misinformation.
For instance, do you use the term “abortion survivor” for anyone who has been born, or do you use it to refer to those who survived attempts to abort them?
Do you express anger that women who attempted to abort their child then raise them instead of placing them for adoption?
Do you struggle to understand how survivors face depression, anxiety, grief, or low self-esteem, believing they should “just be happy?”
Do you struggle to see the obstacles preventing many from sharing their stories?
Speak up against the shame, marginalization, and misinformation spread about abortion survivors whenever you encounter it. Challenge stereotypes and harmful narratives.
Advocate for these voices to be heard in the media and with policymakers. Invite us into the conversation.
Support policies that adequately identify the incidence of failed, stopped, and reversed abortions and the outcomes of various abortion procedures on the life and health of both the survivor and the mother. Additionally, support initiatives and policies that promote long-term medical, mental health, and family support for those impacted by unsuccessful abortions. Advocate for training for medical, adoption, and mental health professionals to ensure that the needs and strengths of this population are understood and best served.
Attend community events, rallies, educational presentations, and legislative hearings. Volunteer your time or donate to organizations like The Abortion Survivors Network to make an impact.