This past week I attended an EDU event called My Body, My Voice, My Choice which was hosted by PPGA, AKA, and Connor House. This event was very informative and especially interesting when compared with the abortion topic we covered in class earlier this semester. The session began with a Kahoot which tested our current knowledge of abortion healthcare. I would consider myself relatively informed on the topic of abortion so I was surprised that I got a few of the answers wrong. One specifical answer I got incorrect was the lack of abortion access in North Carolina. I don’t remember the exact statistic, but I believe it was that only around 13% of all counties in North Carolina have access to abortion centers. I was surprised by how low this number was and many of the other members of the audience were surprised as well.
Although I was familiar with the topic of abortion from the unit within our class as well as my personal knowledge outside of the classroom, it was beneficial to hear a concise and well-though out presentation discussing many of the various components. One note made at the start of the presentation was the distinction of terminology. The presenters made a point to use gender inclusive language throughout the presentation and referred to individuals who could receive abortions as those with uteruses. Another part I found particularly helpful was the information around the two different types of abortion, medical and surgical. It was interesting to learn more information about these types of abortions and the specific instances they were used. The presentation ended with slides that demonstrated various resources available to Davidson students and others in the surrounding community.
Overall the presentation followed similar themes to those we discussed in our classes about abortion. The following quotation from Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy exemplifies the importance of choice discussed in the presentation and our class discussion, “contract or choice based feminists would allow individuals themselves to determine what kinds of families they want to create.”
I’ve lived in North Carolina my entire life and had no idea abortion access was so limited. We are often described as a “purple” state, but maybe having a Democratic governor has lulled me into a false sense of comfort. I would be interested in learning more about abortion from student perspectives, and learning about what kinds of initiatives exist in Mecklenburg County and beyond to educate women on what reproductive health looks like for them given their circumstances. I think it can be easy to generalize experience and access given all the news coverage and fear around restricting reproductive health and abortion access, but that 13% serves as a reminder that access is not inherent and varies given geographical and political context.
This is so interesting! Like Riley, I’ve also grown up in NC. However, I’m from Asheville which is a bit of a ‘liberal bubble’ (although I have my own thoughts on this), and have never really questioned my access to abortion. I even questioned if I should be doing monthly donations to other abortion funds rather than the Carolina Abortion fund, like maybe ones in Texas where abortion is much harder to access. The percentage of 13% is honestly really disheartening to read, and it makes me think about the rural areas I’ve driven through on my way to various cities or my friend’s lake house. A rural population definitely exists, and it is pretty large here. I’ve never looked into the actual statistics, however, and it makes me question how close these rural areas are within driving distance to abortion access in places like Planned Parenthood. Definitely going to do more research on this now.
This sounds like it was such an interesting and beneficial event! I had no idea how limited abortion access is in North Carolina, and that only around 13% of counties have access. I appreciate how the speaker made an active effort to use inclusive language. When the term “pregnant woman” started to be challenged, I remember I was a bit hesitant. But now I totally understand the reasoning of saying that anyone who has a uterus can be pregnant. I actually got in to a LOT of arguments about this topic at Thanksgiving, but I am so glad that Davidson is inviting speakers who use and promote this language!
I also attended this event and think that you give a great summary! I was also shocked by how little of the state’s population has access to abortion clinics. During my freshman year, I attended some PPGA meetings where they did a lot of work with the Charlotte Planned Parenthood branch. I just assumed that there was a similar degree of abortion accessibility in other parts of the state. I didn’t consider how difficult it would be for folks living in rural areas of NC to get to clinics, like the Planned Parenthood in CLT, that are typically located in more populated areas of the state. I’m scared about how this access could be further limited by future elections but feel hopeful given the record turnout of young voters this election cycle.