You're the Only One I've Told
The Stories Behind Abortion
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- $24.99
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
"Moving, multifaceted, and deeply human...as eye-opening as it is compelling" —Cecile Richards, author of Make Trouble
At a time where reproductive rights are at risk, these vital stories of diverse individuals serve as a reminder of the importance of empathy, finding community and motivating advocacy
For a long time, when people asked Dr. Meera Shah, Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, what she did, she would tell them she was a doctor and leave it at that. But when she started to be direct about her work as an abortion provider an interesting thing started to happen: one by one, people would confide that they'd had an abortion themselves. The refrain was often the same: You're the only one I've told.
This book collects these stories as they've been told to Shah to humanize abortion and to combat myths that persist in the discourse that surrounds it. A wide range of ages, races, socioeconomic factors, and experiences shows that abortion always occurs in a unique context.
Today, a healthcare issue that's so precious and foundational to reproductive, social, and economic freedom for millions of people is exploited by politicians who lack understanding or compassion about the context in which abortion occurs. Stories have the power to break down stigmas and help us to empathize with those whose experiences are unlike our own.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to promote reproductive health access.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this nuanced and compassionate debut, Shah, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York State, analyzes the social, financial, and legal barriers to abortion through the stories of people who have dealt with those hurdles. Shah highlights the experiences of women of color, and incorporates the perspectives of a trans person seeking an abortion and the male partner of a woman who chose to end her pregnancy. Each chapter documents one individual's backstory and evolving feelings before taking up such issues as the growing prevalence of "fake health centers" that attempt to "coerce" women into continuing their pregnancy, the use of "junk science" (e.g., unproven links between abortions and breast cancer) by antiabortion policymakers and activists, and the criminalization of self-managed abortions. Shah is a fierce yet empathetic advocate for her own patients and those who have confided in her, and provides a wealth of resources for getting involved in reproductive health activism. Readers who have felt isolated or stigmatized in talking about their own abortions will find stories that resonate, while others will have their concept of who seeks an abortion broadened. This is a moving and deeply informed argument for abortion as a human right.
