Abortion

    When Mr. Johnson presented abortion as a topic of interest, I was immediately interested. I expanded my knowledge on the topic and got to know more about a common procedure that women have the right to choose. I explored various ideas and scenarios which would give me a better understanding of what its like to get be in the position of contemplating abortion. 

     Mr. Johnson’s discussion allowed me to reflect and think about the bigger picture as a whole, there is more to an abortion than making a choice, paying money and leaving “baby-free”. There are thoughts to be had, papers to be signed, people to speak with and a final decision to be made. This is not a procedure that is made in the spur of the moment. The stereotype of these clinics is radiated through social media in an awful way. A film we had just watched in health class called, “Juno”, portrayed teen pregnancy in an uncommon and unlikely light. The young teen’s first thought after finding out she was pregnant was to visit a clinic to receive an abortion. Outside of the clinic, a classmate of hers was protesting abortion and shifted Juno’s thinking. The clinic was dirty and dingy, the employee at the front desk was the stereotype of a reckless young girl with no morals. This short scene in the film gave the clinics like this one a bad reputation. This film did not instill the support and guidance a teen may need while making these decisions. Abortion was automatically not an option for Juno because the clinic was dirty and seemed to be unsafe. While this is just one scenario, and of course, it is in a movie, I decided to do more research on actual abortion clinics.

The most popular of them being Planned Parenthood. I researched the environment of the clinic’s community and the procedures they offer. 

    Planned Parenthood was founded in 1916 and has been helping women for over 100 years. They currently screen for cervical, breast, and other cancers. Their services are solely preventative. The organization made sure they had the contraceptive pill easily available for all when it was first created. They continue to provide expert advice on all options regarding pregnancy and women’s health. They pride themselves on offering a wide range of confidential, safe, expert health care. 

    At a clinic like Planned Parenthood, a mental evaluation is involved in order to better prepare for the procedure. There are no hasty decisions made. Before the procedure, a patient will meet with their nurse, doctor, or health center. Patients will have a discussion about the decisions best for them prior to receiving exams, lab tests and an ultrasound to see how far along they are in their pregnancy. An in clinic abortion will take about five to ten minutes, the appointment lasts much longer due to the tests taken before and after. Once the patient is sent home, they are instructed to take prescribed medication, and will experience brief bleeding and cramping.

   Mr. Johnson’s brief discussion led to my research and interest in learning more about the topic and the law which made it legal.