Orange Is The New Black actor Laura Prepon has opened up about previously having an abortion after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
The landmark decision, handed down on Friday 24 June, strikes down constitutional rights to abortion that have been in place for almost 50 years and paves the way for individual US states to ban the procedure.
Abortion has already been prohibited in seven states following the news. These are Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
In a post to Instagram on Monday 27 June, Prepon said making the decision to terminate a pregnancy in the second trimester was “one of the worst days” of her life.
“The devastating truth is that we found out the fetus would not survive to full term, and that my life was at risk as well. At the time – I had the choice,” she revealed.
Sharing a photograph of herself standing in front of a rainbow, the actor wrote: “Everyone has their own story for seeking out this medical procedure and I empathise with anyone who’s been faced with this impossible decision.
“I am praying for all of us, that we can get through this challenging time and regain agency over our own bodies.”
The US Supreme Court’s decision sent shockwaves across the country and other parts of the world over the weekend, with women’s groups, politicians, celebrities and world leaders condemning the change.
In a statement on Friday, US President Joe Biden described it as “a tragic error” and “a realisation of an extreme ideology”.
Biden has called on the US public to vote in lawmakers who will codify abortion rights into law.
“Let me be very clear and unambiguous: The only way we can secure a woman’s right to choose and the balance that existed is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal law,” he said.
“We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land. We need to elect officials who will do that.”
