Who has abortions? According to Marie Stopes Australia, it’s men... and “people”

[AngeloMysterioso]

A Marie Stopes Australia post on Facebook is attracting a bit of attention... 5 pictures, the first one just a graphic that says “Who has abortions?”. The next four slides are-

-Men with uteruses
-People who already have children
-People with a wanted pregnancy
-People who use contraception

Just shy of 800 comments... apparently GC comments were being deleted left right and centre but MSA have updated to say they are no longer “moderating” the discussion.

www.facebook.com/810047862456121/posts/3095104533950431/?extid=sleFTcNldQcFBsya&d=n

This is how they’ve captioned the post...

EDIT: TRIGGER WARNING

Unfortunately this post has attracted discriminatory and hateful comments that are simply unacceptable. As we are a very small team managing this page, we don’t feel we’re able to moderate the comment section any longer.

Our intention was never to erase women and their experiences, instead, we are aiming to highlight the stories that aren’t often told. There are many, many stories and tonight’s post was just a small sample.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this post 💙

Abortion is a sexual and reproductive health service that many people may access, and it’s important that we destigmatise those who may decide to seek an abortion.

From men with uteruses, to people who already have children - the list of people who may have abortions is endless.

Abortion is healthcare, and we will continue to help those who seek abortions access them safely.

Image description: Illustrations - A series of 5 tiles with pink backgrounds and navy blue and white text. At the bottom of each tile there is a white open door with the words “Marie Stopes Australia” next to it.
Slide 1: Who has abortions?
Slide 2: Men with uteruses. An illustration of a man with short black hair wearing a yellow t-shirt carrying a blue satchel bag.
Slide 3: People who already have children. An illustration of 2 people looking to their left. The 1st person has brown hair styled into a plait, gold hoop earrings and a yellow t-shirt. The 2nd person has short brown hair and is wearing a light green collared shirt under a dark green jumper.
Slide 4: People with a wanted pregnancy. An illustration of 2 people looking at each other. The first person has blonde hair styled into a pony tail, is wearing glasses and a light blue collared shirt under a maroon jumper. The 2nd person has black hair in a bun, wearing a green necklace with a blue pendant and a white shirt.
Slide 5: People who use contraception. An illustration of a person with short black hair wearing gold hoop earrings and a maroon turtleneck shirt. They are looking at their cup of tea. There is steam coming out of the yellow cup.

[SoManyActivities]

It's literally unbelievable! How did we get here?

[DianasLasso]

Which second wave feminist was it said "If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament"? It was a favourite quote of my DMum's.

It's a very pertinent point. Think how many gallons of theological ink and acres of parchment have been used up defending the concept of the "just war" within Christian theology, for instance. Even if you think abortion involves killing a person (which I don't), there are lots of circumstances in which men find ways to justify the circumstances in which men kill people. Not so much women, it would appear.

The fact that abortion is something that only women need is deeply important to understanding the politics of abortion.

[jay55]

It's all insanity.
Women fought bloody hard for the right to have safe, legal, abortions. Still fighting for the right in too many places.

[SweetGrapes]

Such a bad word.... Woman

We've had about 50-70 years of saying things aloud in the public domain... That's more than enough... you know, someone somewhere might get uncomfortable.

[OvaHere]

Good gracious this is insane!

[TheMarzipanDildo]

DianasLasso

I think that was Gloria Steinem

[ErrolTheDragon]

Our intention was never to erase women

Then fgs when it was pointed out that they'd done exactly that didn't they amend their post to be even-handedly inclusive? As it stands, the two 'people' pictures appear to be conventionally gendered heterosexual couples.

[Suffrajester]

Only women and girls. Girls can get pregnant long before they're women, and it's usually dirty old men impregnating them. There's too much focus on "teen pregnancy" and not nearly enough on adult male impregnation of girl children. Or on helping these poor girls to access abortion, especially since they're more likely to suffer complications in childbirth because while they are physically developed enough to conceive (though not mentally enough to consent to it), they're not developed enough to safely carry the pregnancy to term and deliver.

[Clymene]

If they'd wanted to be inclusive, why didn't they put:

-Men with uteruses
-Women who already have children
-Women with a wanted pregnancy
-Women who use contraception

Who do that exclude?

[OvaHere]

I don't understand how they can't see the direction this takes them in. If it becomes accepted 'fact' that men have abortions then it gives men a legitimate seat at the table when deciding policy, law and treatment around abortion.

Recently in the US when some red states have brought in very draconian abortion laws complaints have made their way round social media complaining that everyone signing the order is a man.

"Men signing away our rights" is the usual battle cry, I sincerely hope these are not the same women that support the above nonsense because all it's doing is legitimising the say that men have in women's reproductive health. There is zero chance that men will not use this loophole against us.

[Thelnebriati]

@SoManyActivities

It's literally unbelievable! How did we get here?

There's only one explanation that fits the facts and it isn't going to be popular; we got here because the majority pay lip service to equality as long as they feel they have to, but in reality they don't really want women to have rights.
If they did we wouldn't have to fight for rights at all, we'd just have to point out what we need and ask, and not have to constantly defend them.

[BigFatLiar]

Men with uteruses?

F2M trans who find themselves pregnant and don't want to be?

[ErrolTheDragon]

@Clymene

If they'd wanted to be inclusive, why didn't they put:


-Men with uteruses
-Women who already have children
-Women with a wanted pregnancy
-Women who use contraception

Who do that exclude?

They could have just put 'any fertile person with a uterus'. That wouldn't have been good (this sort of terminology is exclusionary of people with poor English or medical comprehension skills). But prioritising - and arguably othering' - females who identify as men while avoiding the word 'woman' seems like about the worst possible approach.

[TheDragQueen]

I really can’t get over the women supporting this dribble. What the hell is wrong with them?

[yourhairiswinterfire]

@Clymene

If they'd wanted to be inclusive, why didn't they put:

-Men with uteruses
-Women who already have children
-Women with a wanted pregnancy
-Women who use contraception

Who do that exclude?

Exactly. Or if they must -Women and people who already have children, women and people with a wanted pregnancy, etc.

Fed up of being told that this isn't misogyny, and women aren't being erased, when refusing to use the word WOMAN when referring to OUR biological reality is blatantly misogynistic.

Why is it that not acknowledging transwomen and transmen are exactly the same as biological women and men is the most awful, invalidating insult in the world, yet completely refusing to acknowledge women and the word isn't? 🤔

I'm sick to fucking death of the double standards.

[luzzbightyear]

It might have been more of a palatable message if the 'Men with uteruses' bit came after the women options. Like right at the very end.

As it stands first in the list it suggests tends to overshadow the experiences of all others when surely the actual number of men with a uterus having an abortion is pretty bloody small.

Perhaps using that kind of terminology "people with cervixes and functioning ovaries who may or may not have consented to the act of impregnation" might be more relevant.

How "men with uteruses" can come before the experiences of girls being raped I just can't understand.

[Goldencurtain]

The degree of kickback is heartening

[Soubriquet]

I would have let them have “men” with uteruses if they then chose to say women for the rest.

Instead it was men...and then people

Why can’t they say woman?!

[TheDragQueen]

You can feel that people are now fighting back over this.

[Clymene]

@Soubriquet

I would have let them have “men” with uteruses if they then chose to say women for the rest.

Instead it was men...and then people

Why can’t they say woman?!

Exactly. And tit should have been last, not least because the number of women who identify as men and sleep with men is pretty small.

[ReefTeeth]

Fucking hell, I'm outraged at this

The first time I've shared this sort of thing on SM as I work in government, but this is the straw for me.

[DancelikeEmmaGoldman]

I’ve been banned from commenting on their page, but it’s not going well for Marie Stopes Australia in the comments. There are a lot of pissed-off women objecting to being erased.

[canigooutyet]

Who have abortions?

Females who have decided they don't want a child.

No idea why the extra stuff needed to be added other than look at us, we've drank the juice.

People with a wanted pregnancy What are MS doing to support these females having terminations they don't want?

[SerenityNowwwww]

For the love of the wee man...

[FlyingSquid]

They mean a wanted pregnancy aborted for health reasons in mother or child, I assume.