Giving Sorrow Words

I wish someone had said, 'There would be losses having a baby, but don't underestimate the loss of having an abortion.'

Abortion has been presented as a simple procedure that allows women to put the crisis of an unintended pregnancy behind them. The women in this book were told they'd be able to get on with their lives after abortion. But their lives would never be the same.

Giving Sorrow Words includes the personal accounts of 18 women who had abortions and draws on the experiences of more than 200 others. These women share their stories of personal suffering and loss -- stories that have often gone unheard in a society eager to dismiss abortion-related trauma.

Australian journalist and women's rights advocate Melinda Tankard Reist examines the experiences of women, including the lack of resources and support, the misinformation and lack of informed consent, and the intension pressure and coercion often applied by partners, parents and society in general to force women into unwanted abortions.