A message for abortion rights supporters in blue states: We red-state folks thank you for the offers on social media to open your doors to us post-Roe. You are big-hearted for thinking of us. We, however, probably aren’t coming. How do I know? Because I was once an accidentally pregnant, broke mother of two in the anti-choice state of West Virginia, where I carried and birthed my son against my will.
Put a hold on fluffing your pillows and turning down your sheets. You see, people in red states encounter antiabortion policies that are designed to make even the thought of having an abortion fill them with gut-wrenching worry and paralyzing self-doubt. Abortion bans not only fashion physical and logistical barriers for women, but spur mental health challenges that prevent patients from seeking abortion care.
In fact, simplistic offers of brief sanctuary neglect the overwhelming depression, anxiety and grief of forced pregnancy. Instead of a cozy bonus room, what is needed is reassurance that choosing an abortion is an act of love for children that already exist, and that wanting to end a pregnancy doesn’t mean you are, or will be, an unloving parent. When I got pregnant, I was in the exact position of most people who seek abortion care — I was already a mother, and I had no idea how I could financially support another child.
