{"id":474121,"date":"2022-07-14T16:46:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T13:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too\/"},"modified":"2022-07-14T16:46:30","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T13:46:30","slug":"we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too\/","title":{"rendered":"#We need to talk about abortion access in Canada, too"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25a0a8db3d9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25a0a8db3d9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too\/#%E2%80%9CWe_need_to_talk_about_abortion_access_in_Canada_too%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;We need to talk about abortion access in Canada, too&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWe_need_to_talk_about_abortion_access_in_Canada_too%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;We need to talk about abortion access in Canada, too&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                                                                        <i>Three years ago, artist and creator Rachel Cairns had an abortion to terminate a surprise pregnancy she incurred while on birth control. Although she said she felt fortunate to have the procedure available to her, she was surprised to be met with doctors hesitating to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>rove of the abortion, and clinic receptionists hidden behind bulletproof glass. In her new 10-episode podcast, <\/i><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aborsh.com\/\">Aborsh<\/a><i>, Cairns draws on her experiences to talk candidly about the challenges around having an abortion in Canada. The show\u2019s release coincided with the overturn of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that walked back abortion rights in the United States. Here, Cairns opens up about the decision to capture her experience in a podcast, her thoughts on how the cultural perception of abortion is changing in Canada, and what it\u2019s like to release content about one of North America\u2019s most topical issues.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014As told to Alex Cyr<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In December of 2019, while helping to support myself as a film producer and creator, I was working as a shoe shiner in downtown Toronto. When you\u2019re a shoe shiner, December is literally the time to shine: there\u2019s salt on the street, and year-end bonuses are coming up, so I was working non-stop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I barely noticed that my period was five days late.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I had an intrauterine device, so I figured it was impossible for me to get pregnant. But I did feel a little nauseous that day, so I popped into Shoppers Drug Mart after work to get a pregnancy test. Just to be safe. I took it home, peed on the stick, and it came back positive. I thought it was a mistake, so I left it on the side of my sink, waited 20 minutes for it to correct itself, and came back to it. Yep, still positive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was shocked. I simply couldn\u2019t have a baby then. Together, my partner and I were just cracking six figures while living in the most expensive city in Canada. And we didn\u2019t even live together. I thought, \u201cWhy not wait a few more years when money is less tight and make it easier on all of us?\u201d And then, I thought, \u201cIf I were to have a kid now, what would that mean for my artistic pursuits? Would I have to forgo my own aspirations and hopes for the pure practicalities of providing for a new human?\u201d All of it just felt very messy and not at all ideal. It was clear to me: I had to abort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0I had three abortions before I turned 30. They saved my life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Until it stared me in the face, I\u2019d never thought about abortion beyond \u201cI believe in it.\u201d I knew it was legal, and I figured it would be straightforward, but as I went through the process, I realized I was entering a world I knew very little about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In my initial consultation, the doctor I saw asked me about my income and my relationship, and wondered why I didn\u2019t want the baby. I answered the questions, but a part of me didn\u2019t like that I had to justify my choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After waiting two weeks, I went to the abortion clinic back home in Vancouver, and the receptionist sat behind bulletproof glass. I thought, \u201cReally? It\u2019s 2019! In Canada!\u201d I later learned that abortion clinics tend to put fake addresses online to avoid attracting undue attention from protesters. I realize we\u2019ve come a long way in allowing abortions, but I couldn\u2019t believe how stigmatized it still is. I got so mad that I wanted to write about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, I was going to write an angry essay on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> about how we have to get rid of this stigma around abortion. That worried my mom. She supported me in talking about it, but she also grew up in a time when abortions were taboo; she witnessed doctors being shot and people losing jobs over an abortion. I dropped the Facebook idea, but really wanted to share my experience with the world somehow.<\/span><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1238180 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Rachel.Websize-8-1-e1657805728350.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2950\" height=\"1666\"\/><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I prepared for my procedure, I craved information about abortions. There was so much from an American perspective, but in terms of Canadian resources, I\u2019d mainly find academic articles\u2014the kind that require a modicum of geekdom to get through. I wish I\u2019d found something more palatable. You know, something you could listen to while driving to work. That\u2019s when the idea came: I\u2019d create a podcast that shares my experience of abortion, but that also explores our abortion landscape in Canada, and discusses the laws around it with expert interviews. It would be more professional than a Facebook rant, but also accessible to a wide range of people. The more I thought about it, having an artistic background and a personal experience with abortion made me realize I almost had a responsibility to put a podcast like this into the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court tends to make their huge verdicts at the end of their sessions, usually in June, and reproductive advocacies warned that Roe v. Wade was heading toward an overturn. It\u2019s not like we were trying to exploit the moment\u2014more like us realizing, \u201cWow, this podcast will come out during a shitstorm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aborsh<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s first episode came out on June 13, 11 days before the overturn, and as of July 13, six of the 10 episodes were released. I\u2019m so pleased with the reception so far. A few people sent me messages to thank me for talking about it in such a public space, because they didn\u2019t feel comfortable talking about their own abortions. I realized I\u2019m lucky to feel comfortable discussing the show inside my own social networks. When I show up for my uncle\u2019s BBQ, everyone is proud that I did this thing. Though, it\u2019s funny: when nobody was looking, my aunt pulled me aside to tell me that she loved it, but did so quietly. For people of her generation, who\u2019ve lived through more controversy around abortion, it\u2019s probably kind of radical to be so overt about it like I am in the show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>MORE:\u00a0I\u2019m on a waitlist of nearly 100,000 Nova Scotians hoping to find a family doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m glad people are paying attention to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aborsh<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. One of the intentions of it was to normalize talking about reproductive choice in a holistic way, so that it\u2019s not just about the controversy and bodily autonomy, but also the interpersonal dynamics between partners, and the economics of the choice\u2014connecting reproductive decisions to the larger issues we face as Canadians, like housing and health care. My hope is that this podcast helps us move towards talking about each person\u2019s choice, instead of talking about whether the choice itself is right or wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned, I think many people here feared that the same would happen in Canada. We have a different political system and precedents that make it extremely hard to outlaw abortion, so I don\u2019t think we\u2019re at risk of seeing that happen here. But I think we have to use America as an impetus to protect, fund and expand reproductive rights here\u2014and continue to talk about it. We expect our leaders to continue to expand access, train providers, give universal cost coverage for contraception, and more. These are steps we can take to level the playing field to exercise the ability to choose. For what it\u2019s worth, I think we\u2019re on the right path.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>READ: Nothing prepared me for what I saw in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I do want kids one day, when I feel ready. The most common advice I get from people who have kids, particularly from mothers, is: \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll never feel ready and there is never a perfect time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I accept that. But humans hate change, and having kids changes everything. It\u2019s the biggest decision of your life, so why not live in a society where it\u2019s possible to be a bit more ready, where we have a bit more control over when we want to start our families? Why not ask ourselves, \u201cHow can we plan our lives so that we can legitimately afford to bring a baby into the world?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those are the conversations I want to keep having.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"under-article-widget-nl\">\n<p class=\"under-article-widget-title\">Looking for more?<\/p>\n<p class=\"under-article-widget-description\">Get the best of <em>Maclean<\/em>&#8216;s sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, commentary and analysis.<\/p>\n<p>                <iframe style=\"display:none;width:0px;height:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too\/about:blank\" name=\"gform_ajax_frame_26\" id=\"gform_ajax_frame_26\" title=\"This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/we-need-to-talk-about-abortion-access-in-canada-too\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;We need to talk about abortion access in Canada, too&#8221; Three years ago, artist and creator Rachel Cairns had an abortion to terminate a surprise pregnancy she incurred while on birth control. Although she said she felt fortunate to have the procedure available to her, she was surprised to be met with doctors hesitating to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":474122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Rachel.Websize-5-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[131393,71607,22974,23498],"class_list":["post-474121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-aborsh","tag-abortion","tag-canada","tag-podcasts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}