Self Managed: An Abortion Story

Susan Yanow, a longtime reproductive rights activist, defines “self-managed abortion” and what it means to feel safe and supported. This episode offers insight into global organizing efforts for SMA access. Susan addresses some of the challenges of online activism and making information accessible and safe for those who are looking for it.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

• Women on Waves

• Women Help Women

• SASS: Self Managed Abortion, Safe and Supported

• Euki

• WHO

• Plan C

• Gynuity

• Ibis Reproductive Health

• Kimberly Ann Johnson

• Yvonne Abraham: "Remembering the horror of the Brookline clinic shootings, 25 years later."

• Mari Lodi: “Missouri Official Admits to Tracking Women’s Periods”

• Jennifer Lee and Cara Buckley: “For Privacy’s Sake, Taking Risks to End Pregnancy” — Article that describes Planned Parenthood study that Susan mentions.

• Barbosa RM1, Arilha M: “The Brazilian Experience with Cytotec

• Compilation of words and ideas

A person shares their story about self managing. This episode offers insight into the feelings, fears and dreams that arose for one person as they experienced self managing. Anonymous invites us into the experience of what it feels like to share one’s abortion story and redefines what it means to be a “responsible person.”

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Compilation of words and ideas

Beverly Winikoff, a professor and public health expert, walks us through the advent of the abortion pill, RU486 and how the pills move across the globe. This episode gives listeners an inside scoop on what happened behind laboratory doors upon discovering the abortion pill, RU486.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Population Council: The Population Council conducts research to address critical health and development issues

• Rousel Uclaf: A former French pharmaceutical company which oversaw the development of RU486

• André Ullman: MD, PhD, medical director of Rousel Uclaff

• Hoescht: German pharmaceutical company that acquired Rousel Uclaf in 1997

• Aid Access: “Aid Access supports women who cannot otherwise access an abortion or miscarriage treatment and protects their human rights.”

• Gynuity Health Projects: “Envisions a world in which each individual has access to safe and effective reproductive and maternal health care—delivered where, when, and how needed.”

• Rebecca Gomperts: Rebecca Gomperts, MD, MPP, PhD is a registered physician in Austria and the founder of Women on Waves and Women on Web, which provides reproductive health services for people around the world.

• Margaret Sanger: (September 14, 1879 - September 6, 1966) American birth control advocate and nurse.

• Nicholas Kristof: “Another Pill That Could Cause a Revolution” — 2010 NYTimes article that features Winikoff referencing the abortion pill as “world shaking.”

• Chloe Murtagh, Elisa Wells, Elizabeth Raymond, Francine Coeytaux, Beverly Winikoff: “Exploring the Feasibility of Obtaining Mifepristone and Misoprostol from the Internet — Article referenced author, Chloe Murtagh “We aimed to document the experience of buying abortion pills from online vendors that do not require a prescription and to evaluate the active ingredient content of the pills received.”

• Compilation of words and ideas

Farah Diaz-Tello, a reproductive justice lawyer, describes the legal landscape of SMA and the history of criminalizing pregnant people in the US. This episode offers an origin story for the criminalization of abortion, and an overview of some of the legal risks that arise within it. Farah invites us into the thicket of legal restrictions on self-managed abortion, explaining how states and prosecutors have gotten creative in punishing pregnant people for ending their pregnancies on their own terms.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Carol Downer’s self help work

• Our Bodies Ourselves

• SIA Legal Team, now If/When/How

• If/When/How

• National Advocates for Pregnant Women

• Southwest Women's Law Center

• Legal Voice

• Gender Justice out of Minnesota

• Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice

• If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline

• Electronic Frontier Foundation's surveillance self-defense toolkit

• If/When/How: Roe’s Unfinished Promise

• If/When/How: Regulation of Pregnancy Issue Brief

• Farah Diaz-Tello: “The Law Protected Marshae Jones; Her Prosecutor Didn’t.”

• Molly Redden: “Jailed for ending a pregnancy: how prosecutors get inventive on abortion”. — This article provides an overview of the cases Farah mentions.

• Molly Osberg: “'Every Pregnancy Is a Risk of Harm': How Criminalizing Miscarriage Could Play Out.” — Article describes Kenlissia Jones’ case, among others.

• Miriam Zoila Pérez: “Purvi Patel Released From Prison After Feticide Conviction Overturned.”

• Caroline Burke: Massachusetts' NASTY Women Act Aims To Protect Abortion Access In The State No Matter What.

• Compilation of words and ideas

Molly Dutton-Kenny, a full spectrum midwife, discusses home abortions and the persecution of midwives and community providers across history. Molly grows our conception of “safety” and invites us into the world of using plant medicines for abortion care and fertility support. She shares personal stories about her experiences with self-managed care.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Molly’s website

• Susan Weed’s books

• Sage-Femme Collective: “Natural Liberty: Rediscovering Self Induced Abortion Methods”

• John Riddle: “Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance.”

• John Riddle: “Eve’s Herbs

• Leslie Reagan: “When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973”

• Judith Rooks: “The History of Midwifery.”

• Samantha Zipporah: “Hollistic Healing After an Abortion.”

• Marilyn Gryte: “Inner Healing After Abortion.”

• Tony Wechsler: “Taking Charge of Your Fertility.”

• Jennifer Block: “The Criminalization of the American Midwife.”

• Kerry McDonald: “Arresting Homebirth Midwives Just Reduces Women’s Birth Choices.”

• Compilation of words and ideas

A member of the all-volunteer doula collective, Mountain Access Brigade, organizes to support abortion seekers in a state tied with the higest number of registered hate groups. In this episode, we learn how digital abortion doulas are bringing the GynePunk movement to Appalachia. “Katie” addresses questions about online surveillance, autonomy, and inclusivity for folx who are especially affected by over-policing and a lack of access to comprehensive care.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Mountain Access Brigade

• Plan C Report Card

• Inroads Grants

• Knoxville Abortion Doula Collective: Supporting a culture of self-help at the community level: the Knoxville Abortion Doula Collective

• Ewen Chardronnet: “GynePunk, the cyborg witches of DIY gynecology”

• Jenny O’Donnell, Alisa Goldberg, Theresa Betancourt & Ellice Lieberman: “Access to Abortion in Central Appalachian States: Examining County of Residence and County‐Level Attributes.”

• Jenny O'Donnell: Rural women's access to abortion: A literature of Appalachian reproductive health needs and access

• The Doula Project: DIY Doula Self Care Zine For Before, During and After Your Abortion.

• Compilation of words and ideas

Adrienne Crawford, a nurse midwife, shares what it's like to provide medication abortions on the front lines of COVID-19. In this episode, Adrienne invites us into the ways midwives can support people who want medication abortions, and how the pandemic is impacting pregnancy decision-making and reinforcing disparities in reproductive health.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• Feminist Women’s Health Center

• Margaret Charles Smith & Linda Janet Holmes: “Listen to Me Good” 

• Ina May Gaskin: “Spiritual Midwifery

• Choices Clinic, in Memphis TN

• National Abortion Federation

• Adrienne Crawford: “Pregnant in the Time of COVID.”

• Liam Stack: “ A Brief History of Deadly Attacks on Abortion Providers” — NYT coverage of the era Adrienne describes at the beginning of the episode, when abortion providers and clinics were under violent attacks from anti-choice activists.

• Sasha-Ann Simons: “‘Save Black Women’: D.C. Gets To Work Addressing Pregnancy-Related Deaths”

• American College of Nurse-Midwives: “Midwives as Abortion Providers.”

• Reproductive Health Access Project: “No Touch Medication Abortion Protocol.”

• Compilation of words and ideas

We Testify abortion storytellers, Renee Bracey-Sherman and Beth Vial, share a blueprint for how to destigmatize abortion. This episode offers insight into the power of sharing abortion stories. Renee and Beth articulate some of the reasons why abortion storytellers remain silent, and discuss why building radical love and community for people who have had abortions matters.

• Read the full transcript (english/español) [pdf]

• We Testify

• National Network of Abortion Funds

• Youth Testify

• Advocates for Youth

• Women Help Women

• Plan C

• If/When/How Repro Legal Helpline

• All Options

• ACLU

• Jane’s Due Process

• Renee Bracey Sherman: “Saying Abortion Aloud” — Guides on abortion storytelling/supporting abortion storytellers.

• Beth Vial: “Even in a Pandemic, People Still Need Abortions.”

• Beth Vial: “What It Was Like to Get a Later Abortion.”

• Kate Smith: “‘That's where it ends up’: Texas attorney general said he expects the coronavirus abortion ban will reach the Supreme Court.” — Renee mentions Kate Smith’s interview with TX Attorney General, Ken Paxton.

• Compilation of words and ideas