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Summary
On International Safe Abortion Day, we must confront the hypocrisy of claiming abortion is healthcare yet weaponising it to shame women, thereby fuelling stigma and undermining safe access.
Today, September 28th, the world marks International Safe Abortion Day. A day to remind governments, communities, and individuals that abortion is healthcare and women deserve safe, stigma-free access to it. But while many are quick to chant “abortion is healthcare,” some of those same voices turn around and use abortion as a weapon against women they dislike. This contradiction is not just hypocritical but also dangerous.
When someone undergoes surgery for fibroids, no one brings it up months later in a heated argument to humiliate them. No one shames a person for being admitted for malaria treatment or for accessing mental health services. Yet, abortion, though also healthcare, is treated differently. Why is abortion acceptable in principle, but a tool for ridicule in practice?
This behaviour is not about morality or medical accuracy. It is about power and control. Using abortion as an insult reduces women to their most vulnerable moments. It tells them: “You are free to access abortion, but your freedom ends when I decide to use it against you.” That double standard reinforces the same stigma pro-choice communities claim to be fighting against.
Shame is one of the most persistent barriers to abortion access. Many women already struggle with cultural, religious, and legal restrictions. Add to that the fear of being dragged online by their peers, sometimes even by self-identified pro-choice people and abortion becomes even harder to talk about openly. Imagine a woman who sees another being mocked online by someone who claims to support choice. Would she still feel safe enough to seek guidance, information, or emotional support? Or would she retreat into silence, risking unsafe options instead?
Every time abortion is weaponised in arguments, the progress toward normalising abortion in communities takes a step backwards. This mentality makes abortion conditional, accepted for women we like, but shameful for those we don’t. It sends a dangerous message: that abortion is only valid when performed by women who meet our personal standards of worthiness.
If we truly believe abortion is healthcare, then we must treat it like every other form of healthcare. You wouldn’t shame a woman for a caesarean section, or mock her for taking HIV medication. Why then is abortion treated differently? This is the question pro-choice advocates need to ask themselves.
Calling yourself pro-choice requires more than advocacy slogans. It requires consistency in how you treat women, both in public debates and in private relationships. It means refusing to use abortion as an insult, even when you are angry or disagree with someone. It means holding yourself accountable when you slip into hypocrisy.
International Safe Abortion Day is not only about governments passing better laws or clinics improving services. It is also about communities interrogating their own behaviour. Are we creating safe spaces where women can talk about abortion without fear of mockery? Are we living up to the values we claim to hold? Are we making it harder or easier for women to access the healthcare they deserve?
Words matter. Actions matter more. The way abortion is spoken about, even casually in online spats shapes the environment women must navigate. A careless insult can reinforce shame for hundreds who read it. A moment of restraint, on the other hand, can preserve dignity and make someone feel safe.
Today is a challenge to everyone who calls themselves pro-choice: Re-evaluate yourself. If you believe abortion is healthcare, prove it by refusing to shame women who have had one. If you want a world where abortion is accessible without stigma, start by refusing to weaponise it in your personal conflicts. Abortion for all women must mean abortion without shame for any woman.
