A Necessary Kindness
Stories from the Frontline of Abortion Care
Juno Carey
Having read it
★★★★★
A fantastic book that is grounded, humane, realistic and informative and acts as a shining example of the importance and power of care in society and how that care deserves so much more investment (money and time) and better understanding across society, despite endlessly getting misunderstood, overlooked and misrepresented politically and economically; the book acted as a working lighthouse, a beacon, that complemented the brilliant book, Deficit by Emma Holten, that highlights the need for much more care in the world, especially in the economy.
A good passage
With the complexities we all face during our lifetimes, we must be able to hold a range of ideas in our minds which can at times seem contradictory. It is simply a feature of how we process complex realities.
A second good passage
[...] The nature of the connection between them is parasitic; it is one of total dependence. Someone has to come first. Forcing a woman to continue a pregnancy she doesn’t want is putting the rights of the fetus above hers. Not aborting a fetus even where a woman’s life is in immediate danger is putting the life of the fetus above its mother’s. In practice, a choice must be made, and I would argue that choice should always be the woman.
A third good passage
Decriminalization would have a huge impact on women’s experience of abortion care. Without the threat of criminal charges, more practitioners will feel safe to work in the sector, and this will improve provision and waiting times for patients. There is also a huge psychological impact. Women won’t have to jump through hoops, have the right ‘reason’ or tell the right story to access this care – they will simply be trusted to make their own informed decisions about their pregnancies, and that decision will be supported without judgement or fear of judgement. Decriminalization would go a long way to protecting reproductive rights against the onslaught of attacks that are being mobilized against them. Making abortion fully legal is the only way that society can demonstrate to its citizens that it believes in these rights and it will stand by them.