Abortion on Screen Makes People Feel Seen
From Grey's Anatomy and Teen Mom to TLC and BET, Power to Decide has a 30-year track record of collaborating with storytellers and media decision-makers across the pop culture landscape to portray sexual health, relationships, and birth control in a relevant and approachable way. Through comedies, dramas, unscripted, and digital/social content, our media partners bring our information and messages to life and continue to reach audiences where they are.
That’s why we were excited to see a new report from our partners at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) detailing how people who had abortions responded to three contemporary television abortion plotlines.
ANSIRH’s findings reaffirmed the strategy that grounds our entertainment media work — that “emotionally realistic contexts were particularly valued.” The study also found that “depictions of caring support people may serve as an antidote to any feelings of isolation or shame,” highlighting the crucial role that entertainment media plays in portraying what a positive abortion experience can look like, not just showing horror stories or controversy.
Below are a few of our favorite quotes from the study, which is available to read in full here:
"The Shrill scene felt honest and relatable…It reminded me that taking control of your body is powerful, even in quiet moments." - Survey Participant on Shrill
"It made me reflect on my own experience with more compassion. Seeing the emotional weight on both sides reminded me that it’s okay to feel conflicted and still stand by your decision. It reaffirmed that every choice comes with strength." - Survey Participant on P-Valley
"I think it gave me peace and reassurance in my decision. I felt a lot of power in being able to choose what is best for myself and this clip solidified that for me and for the character. - Survey Participant on Station 19
"I think it gave me peace and reassurance in my decision. I felt a lot of power in being able to choose what is best for myself and this clip solidified that for me and for the character. - Survey Participant on Station 19
Decades of social science research show that when audiences feel an emotional connection to a character, they are more likely to personalize that character’s experiences, think about how they might handle a similar situation, and possibly shift attitudes and actions in their own lives.
We hear this from our own community, too — people telling us in their own words how these stories changed the way they see themselves and their choices:
"What you're saying is exactly what happened to me. It was the scariest thing I ever experienced in my life. If I died I would have left behind my 3 young children and my husband." – Social Media Commenter on ectopic pregnancy storyline from Doc
“I experienced this and I'm now just realizing it. Why did a counselor have to come speak to me after I said “my husband wants what I want” and then the lady I'm talking to starts asking about church?” – Social Media Commenter on Station 19
I was a 14 year old in the early 2000s that got an abortion, this storyline really was what got me watching degrassi, I felt so seen. – Social Media Commenter on Degrassi: The Next Generation
We are proud to have provided expertise and support to some of the shows mentioned in the report, and are committed to shining a spotlight on all of the helpful storylines bringing abortion information and care to the forefront. These quotes and this study affirm that during this period of mis- and disinformation about abortion and intensifying attacks on access, entertainment media is a lifeline for audiences by providing essential information and a depiction of what’s possible.
Follow AbortionFinder and Power to Decide on social media and tell us what you think about the abortion stories in TV and film that moved you.
