Lily Allen ‘can’t remember’ how many abortions she’s had

I don’t believe you.

Why 3? And if they can't afford private abortion number 4? What do you suppose should happen? Forced birth and an unwanted baby? Who is that better for?

Yeah, let's make a medical procedure inaccessible to poor people just because some people think it's immoral.

That's definately a good idea.

Do you think people who break bones too many times due to playing sport should pay for their treatment too?

@Digdongdoo do you think women have abortions for shits and giggles? Do you think they get pregnant on purpose so they can have a fun day at the abortion clinic?

I’m assuming the bad situation is having an unwanted child.

I must admit after having my first pregnancy scan and seeing heartbeat, head etc I struggle with the it’s just a bunch of cells belief. I would struggle having an abortion and would be trying to ensure I didn’t get into that position to have to make that difficult choice.

Not only is counselling offered after an abortion but do is contraception advice. There is a reason for that

That’s quite a lot for her children to process/ deal with when asked about it in the playground.

It’s disgusting. Fair enough mistakes happen but surely after the first time you would get yourself on a more reliable method of contraception. I fell pregnant on the pill and continued the pregnancy. However I made sure to go straight on the implant as soon as my ds was born to not have a repeat.

Personally I think you should be allowed 3 then be made to pay privately for any future terminations.

I know someone who used to brag about how many abortions she had and laugh about it. Shes now on social media posting about her fertility problems. I often wonder if her late term abortions are a contributing factor.

Er she openly chose to talk about it on her very public podcast. She wasn’t even being interviewed, taken by surprise and put on the spot and felt under pressure to answer. She was very open.
Maybe she wanted to start a discussion.

I agree with you, OP.

I don't think having an abortion is something that should be undertaken lightly. As an intelligent woman, if she is repeatedly finding herself pregnant when she doesn't to be, she should be reviewing her contraception, checking that she's using it correctly and considering doubling up (eg hormonal contraception and a barrier form of contraception), not relying on multiple abortions to solve the problem.

It's irresponsible to present it as just another form of contraception.

@Katiesaidthat oh babe, contraception isn't 100% or did you think that was a fairy story?

I got pregnant on the pill and on the coil when I had my abortions. I'm currently on the implant, if I got pregnant tomorrow I would 100% have another abortion.

Or is that "allowed" under your made up rules, because at least I was trying to not get pregnant...

I agree contraception is KEY but people get pregnant on it all the time, because yes in an ideal world I wouldn't have to have had multiple abortions and I wouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place. But contraception doesn't always work, and I am so grateful to live in a country where I was able to choose not to continue two pregnancies I didn't want.

I think lots of women (myself included) do not suffer any emotional scars at all from abortion, especially if done early. I just felt massive relief and still do.

And she's very open about previous alcohol and drug addiction, which increase the likelihood of having unprotected sex.

It's still a surgery with risks, though, so it's a bit stupid to laugh about it. And she's a cool girl, for sure in 90s style (I know she's a bit younger than that but it's the general vibe)

According to your judgemental approach perhaps. It's nothing to do with you though.

I think in this day and age there is really no need not to be able to use or get protection. You have untold birth pills the morning after pill, condoms. Men don't need to get something for the weekend at the barbers nowadays.
I can understand making a mistake once but wouldn't you be more carefull after that?. Im Sure abortion is a horrible experience, and it's up to the individual but continually getting pregnant then getting rid of it is careless and very dangerous.
Also a lot of people read the DM so it can't be as bad as people on here think, unless everyone on here knows better.I don't read any papers but I wouldn't read the Times because of its anti women history.
I also think Lily Allen loves the attention and why she has a pod cast god only knows.

Literally none of your business what Lily Allen or any other woman does with their body or fertility.

Requiring five abortions is not medical care anymore, is a terrible lifestyle choice.

Call me a cynic but every time I hear a celebrity making 'controversial' comments I check how their career is doing, seven years since LIly released any music. Kate Nash is another one who has found a way to get her name in the papers.

There is a world of difference between the risks of early medical abortions and surgical ones. Presumably all of Allen's were medical, where the risks are not much greater, if at all, than the contraceptive pill.

Any medical procedure can have complications though. In the grand scheme of things early abortions are pretty safe. There's presumably more risk with later ones.

I am absolutely pro choice - any suggestion that we are starting to go down the same route as the US in respect of abortion rights is one of the few things that would actually get me taking to the streets to prevent.

But this particular discussion has me torn - I agree that to not remember and to have had four or five abortions would make me concerned for any young women who found themselves in that position.

However, openly discussing abortion is not a bad thing - abortion as a subject is something that needs to be in the light - just like periods, peri-menopause and menopause are becoming more openly discussed and less taboo, abortion, as a valid women's health care choice needs to have the stigma removed, so fair play to Lilly for openly discussing it.

As an individual it is absolutely her business and right to do what she wants, but as a woman in the public eye, with a platform that gets attention, she has a responsibility to consider the impact of what she is sharing on girls and women everywhere.

If she just had one or two abortions and was discussing her reasons and any impact or non-impact would be brilliant for making the topic less taboo.

My fear is the not remembering how many and the blase attitude to having multiple abortions is just ammunition for the anti-choice crowd who claim that it is being used as birth control and want to curtail abortion rights.

When the pro-choice side argue back, the anti-choice crowd will just point to articles like the one in the Mail (because they won't have listened to the actual podcast) and say well Lilly Allen did so others will be too - and the right wing have much louder and more powerful voices than the centre and the left!

"Woman accesses healthcare". Wow, what shocking news.

@vovov this simply isn't true, the research bears out that the vast majority of women who access abortion care are happy with their choice and do not find the experience traumatic

Who says that abortion is meant to get women out of a bad situation? Why do you think that is what it is for? And why do you feel qualified to judge what a bad situation is or how many we can find ourselves in one?

Google is your best friend. A friend of mine is infertile due to a botched abortion.

The repercussions appear to be other women judging her, not sure why, perhaps it makes them feel better about their imperfect lives. 🤔

If you use contraception and are not pregnant with an uwanted child in the first place you won´t be carrying any pregnancy to term will you? So your gotcha isn´t the gotcha you think it is. Also contraception is cheaper than abortion in every sense. Contraception all the way. This is 2025 not 1950.

It's irrelevant what you think about her life. 🫣