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Abortion as Ordinary Healthcare: Changing the Culture

Choice Chat’s Culture & Abortion mini-series examines how abortion is shaped by the culture around us.

In the first episode, Dr. Shannon Stettner discusses abortion culture in Canada, including stigma, silence, identity, religion, politics, and the need to understand abortion as ordinary healthcare. In the second episode, Rachel Cairns will explore abortion through the arts — books, television, movies, and theatre — and consider how stories shape public understanding of abortion.

In this episode of the Choice Chat podcast, host AJ Ware speaks with Dr. Shannon Stettner, editor of Without Apology: Writings on Abortion in Canada and co-editor of Abortion: History, Politics, and Reproductive Justice after Morgentaler.

Together, they explore abortion in Canada not only as a legal or medical issue, but as part of our lived cultural experience. Dr. Stettner challenges the silence and stigma that still surround abortion and asks what it would mean to treat abortion as ordinary healthcare rather than as something exceptional, shameful, or hidden.

The conversation makes space for the complexity of real abortion experiences. A person may feel relief, grief, certainty, conflict, or several emotions at once. None of that makes their decision less valid. A healthier abortion culture would allow people to speak truthfully, receive support without judgment, and understand abortion as part of sexual and reproductive health.

This episode is a thoughtful and urgent contribution to reproductive justice in Canada. Abortion is healthcare, but culture shapes whether people feel supported, judged, isolated, or free to speak on their own terms.

RESOURCES 

Choice Chat Podcast — Humanist Canada 
Choice Chat is a podcast from the Morgentaler Committee of Humanist Canada that explores abortion, human reproduction, sexual health, dignity, choice, and reproductive justice in Canada.

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights — Access Line
A confidential national support service for sexual and reproductive health information, including abortion referrals and support.
Phone: 1-888-642-2725
Text: 613-800-6757
Email: [email protected]
Available daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
ARCC is a national pro-choice organization that works to protect and advance abortion rights and access in Canada through advocacy, public education, policy analysis, and coalition work.

Without Apology: Writings on Abortion in Canada
Edited by Dr. Shannon Stettner. This collection brings together activists, scholars, abortion providers, clinic support staff, and personal narratives to broaden the conversation about abortion in Canada.

Abortion: History, Politics, and Reproductive Justice after Morgentaler
Co-edited by Shannon Stettner and Kristin Burnett. This book examines abortion in Canada through history, lived experience, politics, law, medicine, and reproductive justice.

R. v. Morgentaler, 1988
The Supreme Court of Canada decision that struck down Canada’s abortion law and removed abortion from the Criminal Code.

After Tiller
A documentary discussed in the episode in relation to later abortion care, medical decision-making, and the power dynamics involved in how people are asked to explain or justify their need for care.

Government of Canada — Abortion in Canada
A federal information page with general information on abortion in Canada, available supports, and related resources.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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In this personal story episode of Choice Chat, Patrick and Michaela share their abortion experience together, offering a rare and deeply human conversation from both partners’ perspectives. They speak candidly about love, timing, uncertainty, grief, support, and the quiet complexity of making the right choice even when that choice still carries emotion. Their story challenges the silence around abortion by showing that reproductive decisions are not abstract political arguments; they are lived experiences shaped by care, trust, and the realities of people’s lives. The episode closes with Patrick’s original song, written from their experience, offering listeners a moving reflection on love, loss, and the future they are still building together.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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Tricia’s story is one of crisis, clarity, and conviction. In this deeply personal Choice Chat segment, she reflects on becoming pregnant as a student while living in an abusive relationship, being denied compassionate abortion care, and navigating stigma at one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. From that experience, Tricia traces the path that led her to advocacy, reproductive justice work, and becoming an abortion doula in Ottawa. Her story speaks candidly about judgment in the healthcare system, the unequal burden of contraception, and the courage it takes to speak openly about abortion in a culture that still surrounds it with silence. This is a powerful story of survival, self-determination, and building the support she once needed for others. 

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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Interview with Dr. Martha Paynter, author of Lawless: Abortion Under Complete Decriminalization.

In this episode of Choice Chat, host Tara speaks with Dr. Martha Paynter—nurse, researcher, and author of Lawless: Abortion Under Complete Decriminalization—about why keeping abortion out of the Criminal Code matters for evidence-based care and equitable access in Canada. They explain how access is shaped through health policy and service delivery, and why efforts to re-legislate abortion can create real barriers for patients and providers. Dr. Paynter also discusses how mifepristone has expanded access by enabling timely care closer to home, while gaps persist across regions and populations. They close with a call for cross-movement solidarity—reproductive justice, labour, affordability, disability and migrant justice, LGBTQ2S+ inclusion, and anti-violence work—because reproductive autonomy requires safety, economic security, and real access to care.

If you’re looking for practical information about abortion or pregnancy options in Canada, these evidence-based resources may help.

Where to buy the book

Fernwood Publishing

Columbia University Press 

Indigo/Chapters

Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights – Access Line
Confidential information, options counselling, and referrals anywhere in Canada, seven days a week, from 9 AM to 9 PM ET.

Call: 1-888-642-2725  Text: 613-800-6757

Email: [email protected]

Choice Connect – Shore Centre

Helps you find your nearest abortion provider based on your needs. 

 National Abortion Federation (NAF) – National Abortion Hotline
This is the largest national, hotline for abortion provider information and financial assistance.  

Call: 1-877-257-0012 

 Abortion Care Canada – I Need Support

Offers systems navigation, options counselling, and financial assistance.

Email: [email protected] 

 Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada - ARCC

ARCC is the only nationwide political pro-choice group devoted to ensuring abortion rights and access. 

Wellness Within - Reproductive justice and criminalization, including information on accessing abortion while incarcerated or experiencing criminalization. 

Sources

Black women and the reproductive justice movement – Ms Magazine

The Origins of the Reproductive Justice Movement – Start By Talking

 Research & Advocacy 

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA 

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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In this segment of “Personal Stories,” Kori shares the story of her son, Stanley; a deeply wanted pregnancy that changed course after a 20-week anatomy scan revealed severe fetal cardiac anomalies. She recounts the shock of hearing “incompatible with life,” learning the diagnoses (including hypoplastic left heart syndrome and total anomalous pulmonary veins), and making the decision to end the pregnancy as an act of love and compassionate care. Kori tells us why timely, barrier-free abortion access in Canada mattered to her family’s survival and healing. 

If you have a story to share, contact [email protected].

Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy complications, termination for medical reasons, pregnancy loss, grief, and mental health impacts.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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In this episode of Choice Chat, host Tara sits down with longtime labour and reproductive justice leaders Carolyn Egan and Tracey Ramsey to unpack how abortion access is deeply tied to economic justice and social inequality in Canada. 

Drawing on decades of organizing in unions and community movements, Carolyn and Tracey trace the role of the labour movement in supporting Dr. Henry Morgentaler, winning decriminalization, and continuing to defend access today. They show how abortion is not just a “personal” or “moral” issue, but one that shapes a person’s entire economic future—whether they can finish school, keep a job, afford housing, or support the children they already have.

The conversation also explores:

• How unions frame abortion and reproductive health as core workers’ rights issues.
• The ongoing gaps in access across provinces, especially for people in rural and northern communities.
• The intersections of race, class, immigration status, Indigeneity, gender and geography in determining who actually gets care.
• Canada’s shameful and ongoing legacy of forced sterilization, especially of Indigenous women and incarcerated people.
• Why decriminalization matters—and why many advocates don’t want a new abortion law in Canada.

Carolyn and Tracey close with concrete ideas for getting involved: from union women’s committees and campus groups to national organizations and targeted campaigns pushing for real access on the ground.

If you care about economic justice, workers’ rights, or reproductive freedom, this episode will challenge you to see abortion for what it is: essential health care and a cornerstone of equality.

The Price of Choice - Links

 Ontario Coalition of Abortion Clinics https://ocac-choice.com/

 United Steelworkers Union https://usw.ca/issues/women-of-steel/

 Unifor – Women https://www.unifor.org/resources/equity/women

https://www.unifor.org/campaigns/all-campaigns/reproductive-justice-now

https://www.unifor.org/campaigns/all-campaigns/declare-intimate-partner-violence-epidemic

https://www.unifor.org/campaigns/all-campaigns/stop-violence-against-indigenous-women-and-girls

 Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/

 Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights https://www.actioncanadashr.org/access-line

https://www.facebook.com/actioncanadaSHR/  https://www.instagram.com/actioncanadashr/#  https://x.com/actioncanadashr  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkaPDWLJyxvznWybVKUe1Q

 Abortion Care Canada https://abortioncarecanada.ca/i-need-support/

 Ursula Jacko: International Women’s Day 2025 Award

https://socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed-video/international-womens-day-iwd-2025-toronto/

 Native Women’s Association of Canada https://nwac.ca/wg2stgd/sexual-reproducti

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In this episode of Choice Chat, host Tara discusses the complexities of abortion access in Canada with TK Pritchard, Executive Director of Abortion Care Canada. They explore the systemic barriers individuals face when seeking abortion care, the funding challenges for abortion services, and the role of crisis pregnancy centers in spreading misinformation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of bodily autonomy, gender equity, and the need for open dialogue about reproductive health issues.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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A Personal Story on the Choice Chat Podcast

In this poignant episode of Choice Chat, we share Stephanie’s deeply personal and powerful story of navigating motherhood, loss, and the decision to have an abortion. Her reflection is a testament to the complexities of reproductive choices and the long road to understanding and reclaiming one’s voice.

Stephanie never imagined she would make the decision to end a pregnancy. Yet after enduring multiple miscarriages, navigating the depths of secondary infertility, and raising three children, she found herself facing a choice that tested every layer of her being. Her story explores the toll on mental health, the strain on marriage, the role of family, and the quiet strength it takes to choose yourself—especially when the world might not understand.

Stephanie’s words remind us that abortion isn’t just a political issue—it’s a human one. Her vulnerability opens space for others to feel seen, heard, and less alone.

If her story resonates with you, we invite you to listen—and if you’re ready, share your own.

Contact us: [email protected]

Choice Chat: Where truth is heard, stigma is challenged, and choice is honoured.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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Episode 3 – Beyond the Procedure: What Does an Abortion Doula Do?
Abortion is more than a medical procedure — it’s a deeply human experience. In this episode of Choice Chat’s Beyond the Procedure series, host Tara speaks with Rae Jardine, Julie Vautour, and Mel Fuller about the vital role of abortion doulas. Together, they explore how doulas provide logistical help, emotional care, and advocacy — reminding us that abortion is healthcare, and it’s about real people, not debate topics.

Thanks for listening to Choice Chat, a Humanist Canada podcast about choice, dignity, and reproductive justice. We’re glad you’re here. Do you have a story to share? Do you want to suggest a topic? Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on social media. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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In this episode of Choice Chat, we’re talking all about the logistics of abortion in Canada — what happens before, during, and after. Host Tara sits down with registered midwife Jenni Huntley and nurse practitioner/midwife Christy Tashjian to break down each step of the journey, from taking that first pregnancy test to deciding on care options and navigating recovery.

Jenni and Christy share their extensive experience providing inclusive, respectful abortion care, and discuss the difference between medical and surgical abortions, the role of ultrasounds, what to expect physically and emotionally, and the importance of support networks. They also tackle the stigma and silence that often surround abortion and advocate for normalizing the conversation as a common pregnancy outcome.

Whether you’re seeking care, supporting someone who is, or simply looking to understand abortion care in Canada more deeply, this episode offers practical information, compassionate guidance, and valuable resources.

SHOW NOTES

RESOURCES

Northwest Community Health Centers in Thunder Bay

 Thunder Bay Naturopathic Clinic

 Action Canada For Sexual Health & Rights 

The Access Line provides sexual and reproductive health information, and referrals to services including abortion anywhere in Canada. Available every day from 9 AM - 9 PM ET.

 Call 1-888-642-2725
 Text 613-800-6757
 Email [email protected]

 Abortion Care Canada – Need Support

 UnHushed.org

TAKEAWAYS

Abortion care is a vital aspect of reproductive health.

Individuals seeking abortion come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

There is often time to make decisions after a positive pregnancy test.

Medication abortions can be done at home, providing more privacy and comfort.

Ultrasounds are not always necessary for medication abortions.

Support resources are crucial for individuals making decisions about abortion.

Destigmatizing the word 'abortion' is essential for open dialogue.

Healthcare providers should meet individuals where they are at, without judgment.

Access to abortion medication can be tailored to individual circumstances.

Canada's healthcare system provides regulations to ensure safe abortion procedures.

SOUND BITES

"We have to meet people where they're at."

"There's time to decide, take a breath."

“…what I feel is so valuable is when we can offer abortion care and abortion services within the context of people experiencing all kinds of pregnancy outcomes.”

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Choice Chat and Abortion Care

03:10 Meet the Experts: Jenny and Kristy

05:57 Understanding Who Seeks Abortion Care

08:56 Navigating the Early Stages of Pregnancy

11:57 The Role of Ultrasounds in Abortion Care

14:48 Resources for Decision-Making and Support

20:51 Medical vs. Procedural Abortion Explained

26:59 Post-Abortion Expectations and Care

31:54 Accessing Abortion Medication and Overcoming Barriers

37:54 Canada's Healthcare Regulations and Abortion Safety

43:44 Destigmatizing Abortion and Closing Thoughts

FUNDRAISING

Abortion Care Canada Autonomy Fund 

https://abortioncarecanada.ca/the-autonomy-fund/

 Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights

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