More Men Are Sharing Their Abortion Stories and Fighting for Reproductive Rights

''Abortion is often framed as a woman’s issue, with many women stepping forward to share their own stories and try to change the stigmatizing narrative that dominates society; but more and more, men are sharing their experiences with abortion, too. In a poignant NPR Snap Judgmentperformance, Josh Healey recalls his great-grandmother Barbara’s 12 “self-performed abortions” before the Roe v. Wade decision, and his abortion experience at 19 years old with his then-girlfriend of six months and now-wife, Esther.

Healey describes the abortion from his point of view; from the moment Esther finds out she’s pregnant to walking with her past the protesters outside the clinic. The performance is illustrative of the very realistic, complex feelings and awkward moments that accompany an abortion decision. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a woman pee,” Healey says in the performance when describing watching Ester taking the pregnancy test. “It feels like she’s going on forever. Like she’s been storing the Pacific in her bladder forever.”...''

by RENEE BRACEY SHERMAN