This is intended to be a resource for those who want to be better at talking about abortion and helping to destigmatize it. It is not all-inclusive and will continue to be a work-in-progress. If you have suggestions for additions, please feel free to DM me on Twitter @mcmisoprostol. Hopefully it can be helpful! —Hayley McMahon, MSPH

“Coathangers are coming back” etc.

They aren’t though. We can be furious about abortion bans without making false statements and stigmatizing self-managed abortion. Self-managing an abortion at home with abortion pills is extremely safe and effective. It is very unlikely that we will see unsafe abortions become common in the United States. Does this mean that no one will have an unsafe abortion? No. People occasionally use unsafe abortion methods in the U.S. even while Roe v. Wade is still standing. But it is rare and is expected to remain that way. Abortion pills will remain accessible and low-cost through overseas pharmacies even after Roe. There are folks in Austria and Mexico, for example, who work to get abortion pills to Americans in all 50 states. Are there people who don’t know about these options? Yes! That’s why it’s important to help spread accurate information about self-managed abortion! It’s also important to know that arrest—not medical complication— is now the greatest risk, especially for Black and brown folks who are targeted by criminalization. However, there are some strategies to help reduce this risk.

Instead: Share information about how self-managed abortion can be done safely and advocate against criminalization. Check out Plan C to learn more about self-managed abortion with pills.

“Welcome to Gilead” etc.

The Handmaid’s Tale is quite literally a fictional story about white women that is based on what white people have actually done to Black and Indigenous people. It is extremely disrespectful and, frankly, racist to compare forced pregnancy to a fake story about white women when it is real history for Black and brown folks. Please see Sherronda J. Brown’s “White Women in Robes” for a much more in-depth explanation.

Instead: “Banning abortion will disproportionately harm Black and brown people who already  face additional barriers to accessing healthcareare and are often targeted for incarceration.”

“Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.”

This is stigmatizing. Abortion is not rare, and there’s no reason for it to be. Abortion is very common. 1 in 4 women (research estimate based on cisgender women) will have an abortion in her lifetime. There’s nothing wrong with having abortions, and therefore, no reason to reduce the number of them.

Instead: “Access to safe abortion care is a human right.”

“If men could get pregnant…”

This is not a scientifically accurate statement. Transgender men can and do get pregnant. Some people of all genders can get pregnant. There are women, men, and non-binary or gender-nonconfroming people who can get pregnant. Transgender men and non-binary people need abortion care, and they face additional barriers to accessing it that cisgender women don’t. Pregnancy and gynecological care can be particularly distressing for trans and non-binary folks who experience gender dysphoria. Using language that erases trans and non-binary people from abortion access causes further harm and is also just simply not accurate. Further, it doesn’t “erase women” to rightfully include trans men and non-binary people. Women, too, are people. Misogyny can still be a reason that people support banning abortion, even though the outcomes impact other folks too.

Instead: Use “pregnant people,” “people who can get pregnant,” “women and some trans people,” “birthing people,” “birthing parent,”  “parent,” etc. depending on the context.

“We need to build an Underground Railroad” etc.

It’s just not okay to compare pregnancy to chattel slavery. Yes, forced pregnancy is very evil and tortuous. But it is still not chattel slavery, and we can talk about how montrous it is without making a disrespectful comparison. Also, you don’t need to build anything! Abortion funds and practical support groups already have established infrastructure for supporting people who need to travel to access care. Practical support can be complicated and often involves coordinating with clinics through an established relationship.  Trying to reinvent the wheel is dangerous for abortion patients, fragments support networks, and wastes resources.

Intead: Use “practical support.” Support existing abortion funds (who often have their own practical support groups built in to) and practical support groups like Midwest Access Coalition and Brigid Alliance with your time and money!

“You can’t stop abortion, only safe abortion.”

We can be furious about abortion bans without making false statements and stigmatizing self-managed abortion. Self-managing an abortion at home with abortion pills is extremely safe and effective. It is very unlikely that we will see unsafe abortions become common in the United States. Does this mean that no one will have an unsafe abortion? No. People occasionally use unsafe abortion methods in the U.S. even while Roe v. Wade is still standing. But it is rare and is expected to remain that way. Abortion pills will remain accessible and low-cost through overseas pharmacies even after Roe. There are folks in Austria and Mexico, for example, who work to get abortion pills to Americans in all 50 states. Are there people who don’t know about these options? Yes! That’s why it’s important to help spread accurate information about self-managed abortion! It’s also important to know that arrest—not medical complication— is now the greatest risk, especially for Black and brown folks who are targeted by criminalization. However, there are some strategies to help reduce this risk.

Instead: Share information about how self-managed abortion can be done safely and advocate against criminalization. Check out Plan C to learn more about self-managed abortion with pills.

Euphemisms like “right to choose,” “women’s health,” “women’s rights,” etc.

These are stigmatizing and unhelpful. Just say abortion. It’s okay to say it, and it’s really important for normalizing abortion as just another type of healthcare. These euphemisms also often reinforce gendered language, as discussed above.

Instead: “Abortion,” “abortion access,” “abortion rights,” “right to safe abortion care,” etc.

“I’m pro-CHOICE. No one’s pro-abortion.”

This is stigmatizing and untrue. Plenty of people are pro-abortion. “Pro-abortion” doesn’t mean we think every single person should be forced to get an abortion. It means that we believe anyone who wants or needs an abortion should be able to get it. “No one’s pro-abortion” makes it sound like abortion is a negative outcome, and it’s not. It’s safe and effective healthcare.

Instead: “There is nothing wrong with abortions. Anyone who wants or needs an abortion should be able to get it.”

“This ban doesn’t even have exceptions for r*pe or a person’s health.”

All reasons for having an abortion are equally valid. While both sexual assault and threats to a pregnant person’s health are very tragic situations deserving of care and compassion, centering only those reasons implies that abortion is more acceptable in these cases when the person is not “at fault.” It attaches blame to those who have abortions for other reasons. Whatever their reason, anyone who needs abortion care deserves access to it. It is not our business why they need an abortion.

Instead: “This ban strips away bodily autonomy for everyone who needs abortion care.”

“No one WANTS an abortion.”

Again, stigmatizing and untrue. Plenty of pregnant people want to have an abortion. Abortion isn’t always a sad or difficult choice. For many people, it’s an easy decision and uneventful process. It would be even less eventful if there weren’t so many restrictions and so much stigma.

Instead: “People have a lot of reasons for choosing abortion, and all of them are valid. For many people, it’s an easy decision because they know that they don’t want to be pregnant or give birth.”

“American Taliban,” “It’s like we live under Sharia Law,” etc.

This is Islamophobic. Abortion bans in the United States are driven by incredibly violent, white supremacist Christian nationalism. They have nothing to do with Islam or Islamist groups. Furthermore, Sharia Law permits abortion.

Instead: “Christian nationalists are obsessed with banning abortion to strip control people who can get pregnant and further empower their coercive adoption strategies.”

“Let’s do forced vasectomies instead!”

Let’s not. The fight for abortion access is about reproductive and bodily autonomy. Threatening to take that away from others against their will is counterproductive, even when meant as hyperbole.

Instead: “We all deserve reproductive autonomy.”