When the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision this past summer, it made abortion the number one story in the country and possibly influenced the outcome of the midterm elections two weeks ago..The original decision, made in 1973, abolished virtually all abortion restrictions imposed at the state level, and was heralded by women’s rights groups around the world..By overturning it, individual states are again making their own abortion laws, from making them illegal to allowing them on demand..In Canada there are no laws enshrining nor denying access to abortion, leading to decades of debates that have often failed to acknowledge the voices of those most personally and deeply affected: women who have faced an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy..A new Angus Reid Institute (ARI) survey* of women who have been faced with such situations, asked them to look back on their experiences and reflect on their decisions..Almost one-third of the women polled said they have experienced an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, but their anxieties, challenges and choices are among the least discussed aspects of the abortion debate, the survey found..The ARI study explored the personal experiences of women who have faced an unwanted pregnancy and either had a surgical or procedural abortion or carried that unwanted pregnancy to term..“Criticism of access to abortion services in Canada is a well canvassed issue and one that some advocates decry,” says ARI. “Asked about their own experience, 16% of women who have had an abortion say that it was difficult or impossible to access, while 56% said they had no problems and another 27% said it was ‘not that difficult.’”. Easy or difficult .For one-in-six women, it has formed part of their own history: 16% have gone through a surgical or procedural abortion..An almost equal sized group, 15% of women, report carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term. Among those who opted for abortion, 16% had a difficult time obtaining one.. Had abortion .Just more than 40% of respondents said someone close to them, an intimate friend or a family member, has had an abortion..Five per cent of respondents preferred not to say, while two-in-five (41%) have neither had this experience themselves nor know another person close to them who has:. Ended a pregnancy .The ARI survey found the age group between 45 and 54 had the largest proportion of women, 23%, who reported having personally experienced an abortion..“This age curve tends to align with the total number of reported abortions per year in Canada, which are higher between 1996 and 2011, and lower on both sides of that year-by-year trend,” says ARI. “Proximity to this issue is high across all generations. Even for those youngest and oldest women who have not had this experience personally, two-in-five know of a close friend or family member who has.”.“More than half in every age group have ended a pregnancy through procedural means themselves or know someone close to them who has.. Ended by demo .As with just about every issue, abortion is politicized in Canada, says ARI..“Candidates for some parties have been compelled to attest that they are pro-choice as a condition of membership, while others have been dogged by questions about their views that they were unwilling to share. Proximity and personal experience, however, touches Canadian women across the political spectrum.. Ended by politics .“The decision to end a pregnancy can generate a myriad emotions, from relief to grief, to shame and anxiety, to empowerment and confidence,” says ARI. “Two-thirds of those who report having had a surgical or procedural abortion say that ultimately it was the right choice for them, they have no regrets.”.“Among three-in-10 (28%) regrets linger, but not enough to make them second guess their decisions. Six per cent say a different choice would have been better for them”. How did you feel .*Respondents were asked only about a surgical or procedural abortion and not a medical abortion, wherein oral medications in the early weeks of abortion are prescribed. Respectful of their comfort level, respondents had the option to participate in the survey or choose not to answer (read the questionnaire here). Please also note that only respondents who identify as a woman were asked these questions..Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
