It's time to slay the 'killer abortion' story

Today’s guest blogpost is from Lucy V Hay, a novelist, script editor and blogger who has just written a novel exploring one young woman’s pregnancy decision making process. She shares her insight on fictional accounts of abortion.

I’m grateful to live somewhere that allows for a woman’s right to choose, but abortion is frequently depicted in a negative light by movies and television. This Slate article sheds some light on the offenders, but does not, in my opinion, give a viable reason as to why this is so often the case.
 
As well as being the author of a pro-choice novel, The Decision: Lizzie's Story, I'm a script editor for movies, so hopefully I can offer an explanation – and though it may surprise some progressives, it’s not that the people creating those movies or television shows necessarily disagree with abortion!

When learning how to create fiction, the first thing any wannabe writer is taught is that, “drama is conflict”. In other words, a writer needs to create the worst problems for his/her characters that s/he can; it is overcoming those problems that make an audience relate to that character and invest in the character’s journey. So, if a story about abortion is to have the “most” conflict it can, obviously it will include death.

Simple, eh? But this is also where it gets complicated …

… 1 in 3 women in the UK will have an abortion at some point in their lives. What’s more, the likelihood of dying from having a legal abortion is extremely low. In fact, the risk of death from childbirth is 14 times higher than for abortion. So for starters, a story has potentially up to a third of its female audience going, “Eh? That just wouldn't happen!” Not. Good.

Secondly, though an individual movie or TV show may feature a death from an unsafe abortion (for example, if it was set in a time or place where abortion was illegal or inaccessible, like in the film Vera Drake), the sheer lack of variety in the representation of abortion in the media becomes problematic. It’s worth remembering, lots of people get their information from fiction … That’s why soap operas carry the famous: “If you have been affected by any of the storylines …” bit at the end of the show, alongside helpline numbers.

So if writers and producers shrug their shoulders and say, “It’s just a story!”, they are right. In isolation, their “killer abortion” story is just a story.

But all those “killer abortion” stories put together? A statement.

Working with writers, I am always at pains to point out we must be varied in our depictions of characters and situations and the “killer abortion” is no different. We are extremely lucky that safe abortion is a reality in Great Britain and that our friends, daughters, sisters and mothers have the right to bodily autonomy. But it’s also a sad reality that very few stories reflect this: instead, whether the writers and producers believe in the pro-choice message or not, they go for the lazy and stereotypical notion that “abortion kills” or is ‘dangerous’ in other ways (such as leading to infertility). It’s time to slay the “killer abortion” story and seek out representations that empower female characters – and the audience watching them.

EFC Youth Advisors produce short film about pregnancy testing

We're very pleased to announce that the short film produced by our lovely Youth Advisory Group is now up on our You Tube channel (and you can view it below!)

The group wanted to make a film which would give other young people information about pregnancy testing and pregnancy options but which would also make the process seem a little less intimidating.

Chau: 'I have definitely learned more about sexual health and am able to tell others more precise facts'
Namratha: 'It's a great resource for young people to know of their concerns and options locally available to them'
Nataliah: '(the film allows) young people to gain information on services available to them without feeling embarrassed or intimidated to directly ask someone.'

Well done guys!

‘Abortion: The Facts’ – A film by young people, for young people

Last week saw the final meeting of the first EFC Youth Advisory Group. Sob. Thanks so much to Kiki, Ruth, Rosa, Rachael, Sam and Zalika for being involved and making it such a success. As well as attending events and focus groups on behalf of EFC the group worked hard to produce this short film to give other young people the facts about abortion. Please watch 'Abortion: The Facts' (below and also on our YouTube page) and let us know what you think – and do pass it on to any young people/educators who might be interested! Some closing comments from the YAG follow...



Kiki: We went to an exhibition concerning sexual health at City Hall where we got freebies, leaflets and met sexual health organisations. We also created a film of some of the facts about abortion to dispel the myths around the topic. The production was good fun as we collaborated ideas and did audio snippets.

Rachael: During my time at EFC I was introduced to the different views as well as facts of abortion. Personally I feel that I have learnt valuable information not only for myself but also family and friends. By contributing to the creation of our video: ‘The Facts About Abortion’ I have learnt how important it is to encourage young people to think about the subject.

Ruth: The film project came about after us noticing the lack of decent information about abortion online – particularly in video form. YouTube is populated with sometimes misleading anti-abortion videos. Young people deserve to have the facts to make an informed choice and they need to know their rights. What I found particularly interesting when making the video was the common theme of the lack of sex education in schools which addresses abortion. Perhaps our video can help to fill this gap and even prompt a discussion about how limited sex education is in UK schools. I’d like to share the film with anyone and everyone!

Rosa: From my time at EFC, I have learnt a lot. I was one of the many without a knowledge surrounding abortion that I should have got from school. I found that a lot of things I took as truths were not at all, and I have felt better within myself and feel that my autonomy has grown as a result. The making of the film was largely good fun, at times difficult, but with a strong group around us we could always find a way to laugh whilst we worked. I’m proud of the film but I can’t help but feel sad it’s all over. This is a fantastic organisation and I have loved being involved.

Myth Busting Monday: Abortion in films is always presented as a traumatic experience

Today’s blog is a response to mangmangmang’s question on Twitter: ‘Can you find a media portrayal of voluntarily chosen abortion without serious traumatic consequences?’ This week the focus is on film but we'll also cover books and TV in future posts...

The film which first comes to mind is Greenberg. Released last year, from the director of the fabulous The Squid and the Whale this is another tale of mid-life ennui - starring Ben Stiller as the disaffected lead Roger Greenberg. It’s a nice sprawling ‘indie’ film with some sharp lines and well-developed characters but what struck me most was the non-sensational depiction of abortion. Although interestingly the ‘A word’ isn’t used in the film, lead character Florence explains that she’s going for a ‘D and C’ (dilatation and curettage) and the film takes time to establish the procedure within the plot. Crucially Florence doesn’t go crazy or grow horns following the procedure. She does question what she’s doing with her life, but as RH Reality Check points out, the ‘abortion is treated not as a punishment but as a part of a character arc that teaches her to change course and to actually protect herself more’.

After a spate of mainstream films where abortion seems to be have been side-stepped (Juno and Knocked Up for example) or is absent completely, it was refreshing to see this very common medical procedure approached with subtlety and even humour (yes, humour !).

Which got us to thinking here at EFC about how abortion is portrayed in film more generally. Which films do you think present the subject realistically, sympathetically or just downright badly? Is the woman shown to suffer serious mental/physical health problems following abortion? Is abortion presented as a valid option even if it isn’t eventually chosen?

Here are a few films to check out if you haven’t already– please add your comments and suggestions to this post or email laura@efc.org.uk with suggestions of books and TV shows featuring abortion storylines for our future blogs.

Vera Drake
Mike Leigh’s account of Vera, a woman who voluntarily performs abortions on women pre-1967 provides an emotional reminder of the lengths women go to when (or where) abortion is illegal or severely restricted. This can be a great resource for teaching young people about abortion law.

Dirty Dancing
Another film set in a time before abortion was made legal in which a main character suffers from a botched ‘backstreet’ abortion. Writer Eleanor Bergstein claims she fought for this scene to be retained as, at the time it was written, there were threats to women’s right to legal abortion and she wanted the film to function as a reminder of what criminalising abortion would mean for women.

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
This film set in Romania again focuses on illegal abortion, under the communist regime of the late 1980s.

Obvious Child
By no means a Hollywood blockbuster, this short, upbeat indie film looks at one woman’s decision to end her pregnancy. Another rare example of a film in which abortion is not a traumatic experience for those involved. You can watch it online here.