The Abortion Diary

"I wanted to be able to tell my own story." Kassi shares her abortion experience, and her journey of enlightenment after abortion, which she chronicles in her new book MAY CAUSE LOVE. (Published on February 21, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: Boston, MA) The Abortion Diary is free, but it takes money to keep it that way. Help The Abortion Diary continue its work and share our stories by donating now: http://theabortiondiarypodcast.com/donate-abortion-stories/donors/

"It's really not straightforward." Ellie shares the story of her abortion experience in Brighton, England. (Published on February 14, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: London, England) Have you been listening to this podcast? Help us continue to break the silence by donating now: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

"It was a monumental, formative experience." Alex shares her story of seeking an abortion in New York City. (Published on February 7, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: New York, NY) The Abortion Diary is free, but it takes money to keep it that way. Help The us continue to break the silence and share our stories by donating now: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

"I'm really glad I had that choice." - Abby A. Abby shares her experiences seeking abortions in California at two very different times in her life. (Published on January 31, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: Santa Monica, CA) The Abortion Diary is free, but it takes money to keep it that way. Help The us continue to break the silence and share our stories by donating now: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

"Hello, this is Jane." Judith Arcana shares her experiences as a Jane in The Abortion Counseling Service of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union (usually known as JANE*), the underground abortion service in Chicago. From 1968-1973, JANE provided over 11,000 people safe and affordable abortions, and abortion counseling. In August 2014, I posted the recording of my first interview with Judith. In this second interview, she talks about who performed abortions for Jane, how she learned to perform abortions, and how women were counseled by the service. She offers us a history lesson and her wisdom, both of which we must learn from in these uncertain times. Judith Arcana is a writer – and a Jane, a member of the feminist underground service. She worked in the service for two years, and then taught classes on women's health and sexuality for the Women's Liberation School. Judith writes books, poems, stories, and essays, and hosts Poetry and Everything on KBOO community radio in Oregon on the fourth Monday of every month at 10:00 pm. She published a fiction zine rooted in abortion service history, Keesha and Joanie and JANE. Visit Judith's website: http://www.juditharcana.com/home/ (Published on January 24, 2017| Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: Portland, OR) *For more information about JANE read Judith's books, poems, and essays, and Laura Kaplan's book, The Story of Jane.

"Stigma silences people and it shuts them up." Elizabeth shares the abortion experiences she's had at different times in her life. (Published on January 17, 2017| Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: San Francisco, CA) Are you a fan of the podcast? Help us continue to break the silence by donating now: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

"I see it as one little aspect of a life full of events." Katharina shares her experience of having an abortion in Jordan with the help of Women on Web (https://www.womenonweb.org/), and talks about her activist work with Ciocia Basia (http://bit.ly/2jo1rqc), a Berlin based group that helps Polish women access abortion in Germany. (Published on January 10, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: Berlin, Germany) The Abortion Diary is free, but it takes money to keep it that way. Help The Abortion Diary continue its work and share our stories by donating now: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

"I want to be okay with it for myself." Anonymous shares her story of seeking an abortion as a high school senior in the New York City. (Published on January 3, 2017 | Listener: Melissa Madera | Location: New York, NY) The Abortion Diary is free, but it takes money to keep it that way. Help The Abortion Diary continue its work and share our stories by donating now: theabortiondiarypodcast.com/donate-abor…ies/donors/

There isn't a new abortion diary entry this week. I'll be posting a new story on Tuesday, January 3rd, and return to our weekly schedule. Until then listen to over 140 stories that have already been posted on The Abortion Diary, and listen to the new audio mosaic (#142) of some Abortion Diary story-sharers talking about why they want to share their stories. Thank you for listening, and have a safe and happy New Years. ~ Melissa Help us continue to break the silence in 2017 by donating to The Abortion Diary today: bit.ly/2iiqvzp

There isn't a new episode this week. I'll be posting a new story on Tuesday, January 3rd, and return to our weekly schedule. Until then listen to over 140 stories that have already been posted on The Abortion Diary, and listen to this new audio mosaic of some Abortion Diary story-sharers talking about why they want to share their stories. Thank you for listening, and have a safe and happy New Years. ~ Melissa Help us continue to break the silence in 2017 by donating to The Abortion Diary today.