One woman's courageous decision to share her personal experience of abortion on TikTok has sparked a wave of discussion online.
"My hope would be that abortion becomes more normalized and seen as what it is—healthcare," the 25-year-old told Newsweek.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court formally released the ruling that overturned the nearly 50-year-old decision of Roe v. Wade that protected a pregnant woman's right to choose to have an abortion.
A year on, 13 states have enacted total bans on abortion from the moment of conception, while Georgia banned abortion after six weeks—before most women even know they are pregnant.
Despite the Supreme Court decision, American support for abortion has increased since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Pew Research Center found in 2019 that 31 percent of people in states that would later institute bans said that abortion should be easier to access. In 2023, 46 percent of the same population responded that they thought it should be easier to access.
Monica, 25, lives in Los Angeles, California, and recently gained over 3.1 million views on TikTok. She shared her experience of at-home abortion on July 20, which has prompted discussion.
In the video, Monica, who has one daughter, shared how she prepared and went through with an abortion at nine weeks pregnant. On camera, she shared the items she had stocked up with, including medications, maxi pads and water, and showed the schedule.
It is important to note that the information in the video is based on her personal experience, and is not medical advice. Anyone seeking support or advice on abortion should contact a medical professional.
"I wanted to create a safe space for women to come forward and share their experiences and stories about their abortions without the fear of being judged or criticized," Monica told Newsweek. "I've noticed that the media tends to ignore the topic of abortion as a whole and I thought, 'Well, maybe if I come forward and share my own journey, we can finally talk about it.'"
Monica documented her experience of taking medication typically used for terminating early pregnancy. Timing and availability of this procedure can vary depending on laws and regulations. However, the FDA-approved regimen for medication-based abortion usually involves taking a pill at a healthcare provider's office, clinic or hospital, before going home and taking the rest of the medication around 24 to 48 hours later.
"I definitely felt hesitant about documenting my abortion because I was so worried about the kind of response I would get," said Monica. "It was my attempt to reach out to those who may feel alone or unsupported through such a vulnerable event and to show that there is nothing to hide when it comes to making a choice that is best for you."
Of course, Monica was prepared to see negative comments in response to her video. After all, abortion is a heavily contentious issue that is being placed at the heart of many election campaigns.
As Monica shared how she handled the side effects of the medication and followed her Planned Parenthood instructions, the video continued to candidly offer insight to an experience that many will hide.
Of course, not all responses to the video were positive. One viewer told her that it was "absolutely disgusting," while another wrote: "Wtf [what the f***] why is this on TikTok?"
Monica said: "In all honesty, when the negativity did start rolling in, I was just so comfortable with my decision that none of them fazed me. There was nothing anyone could have said that would have changed my mind or made me regret posting my video. I helped so many more people than they ever could have with their hatred and that's what mattered most to me—helping people.
"I think it's incredibly important for women to share stories like this because in a big way, it helps to destigmatize abortion," Monica added. "I've even had people I knew personally or people I didn't know come forward and thank me for being so honest and open about it because they had never felt comfortable enough to share it. Talking to all these women and sharing our stories together also opened my eyes to see just how little support women around the world have when it comes to reproductive health."
While the video did prompt split reactions, many people were thrilled by Monica's decision to share her experience.
In almost 3,500 comments, women rushed to praise her. One user posted: "People like you are so important. To be willing to share such an experience is honestly a blessing in this political climate. Thank you."
Another wrote: "I needed this when I went through mine. Thanks so much for your experience!"
Others shared the video and reposted it to their own pages. One user commented: "Reposting this bc [because] I've never seen someone talk about this process."
Commenters from parts of the U.S. where abortion is now completely illegal such as Texas, Mississippi and Alabama were also prompted to respond and praise the video, despite knowing the option of abortion is not available to them.
"It's a right that everyone deserves and a choice that no one should ever make without proper resources and education. It's heartbreaking when I hear that it's not available to everyone just anywhere," said Monica. "In some places, it may even place a danger on people for just talking about it. I felt so powerless with my inability to help them and I can only imagine what they may feel."
With the praise and thanks from other women for sharing the experience, Monica said that she hopes that, in the future, abortion becomes more normalized by society as a whole.
"I hope that my video will reach the right people who have had questions about abortion and to hopefully clear the misconceptions and lies surrounding it," Monica added. "It's not as scary as many people have been taught to believe, and they are not alone."
