ALTHOUGH ONE IN THREE WOMEN IN THE UNITED
STATES GET ONE ABORTION BY THE TIME THEY ARE 45 YEARS OLD, NOT
MANY WOMEN TALK ABOUT IT.
RECENTLY CHELSEA HANDLER WROTE
ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE GETTING TO ABORTIONS AT THE AGE OF 16 IN
PLAYBOY MAGAZINE.
PART OF THE REASON WHY SHE DID THIS IS
BECAUSE ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN GENERAL
HAVE BEEN A HOT BUTTON ISSUE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SUPREME
COURT'S RULING ON TEXAS' RESTRICTIVE ABORTION LAW.
I LOVE
THAT SHE SHARED HER STORY AND I
THINK IT EMBOLDENS OTHER WOMEN TO NOT FEEL SHAME ABOUT IT.
SO,
SHE DID WHAT A LOT OF
16-YEAR-OLDS DO.
SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH A GUY THAT WAS BAD
NEWS, SHE HAD UNPROTECTED SEX, AND SHE GOT PREGNANT.
SHE HAD
THE ABILITY TO MAKE A CHOICE.
ULTIMATELY SHE DECIDED SHE IS
NOT READY TO HAVE A BABY.
THEN SHE GOT PREGNANT AGAIN IN THE
SAME YEAR.
IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO ADMIT THAT.
>> PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CALL YOU MORE IRRESPONSIBLE AND JUDGE YOU
MORE.
LOOK, I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE I WASN'T GETTING LAID AT 16, SO
I DIDN'T RUN INTO THIS ISSUE.
BUT I DID PLENTY OF STUPID
THINGS BECAUSE I WAS 16.
SHE WAS A YOUNG TEENAGER HAVING FUN.
AND
YES, SHE WAS IRRESPONSIBLE LIKE
A LOT OF US.
I DIDN'T MOW THE LAWN, SHE GOT PREGNANT.
I KNOW
IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?
I DON'T
KNOW.
I KNOW WHAT CONSERVATIVES DO, THEY WILL GO GET THAT
ABORTION.
THERE WAS A STORY TOLD ONCE ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS A
PICKETER, GOTTEN ABORTION INSIDE, AND WENT OUTSIDE AND
PICKETED AGAIN.
>> WHAT ABOUT THAT GUY ñ THE CONGRESSMAN FROM TENNESSEE?
>>YES, HE SAID HIS WIFE AND MISTRESS NEEDED
THOSE ABORTIONS.
HE COULDN'T AFFORD THOSE KIDS.
>> OH, IT WAS OKAY BECAUSE IT WAS INCONVENIENT FOR YOU TO HAVE
A KID.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT SHE HAD TO PAY.
ONE OF
THE PIECES THAT YOU DON'T GET FROM CONSERVATIVES IS THAT YOUR
TAXPAYER MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS
THESE ABORTIONS.
NO, THEY ARE NOT.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD GET AUDITED, AND THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO
SPEND ANY TAXPAYER MONEY ON ABORTIONS.
THAT IS ILLEGAL.
>>I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE SAFE PART.
SHE LIKELY WOULD'VE HAD
THOSE ABORTIONS ANYWAY EVEN IF
IT WAS ILLEGAL.
PEOPLE GET BACK ALLEY ABORTIONS.
AND A LOT OF
TIMES THEY WOULD DIE.
BY THE WAY, THAT DOESN'T HELP ANYONE,
THE KID DIES AS WELL.
IT DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY, AND INSTEAD
CHELSEA HANDLER SURVIVED, HAD A
GOOD CAREER.
I'M SURE SHE IS HAPPY THAT SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED ñ
WITH THE SAME THING HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE HAD DECIDED TO
HAVE KIDS?
I DON'T CARE, IT WAS NOT MY DECISION.
IT WAS HER
DECISION.
I AM NOT GOING TO BUTT INTO HER LIFE OVER IT.
I WANT TO
TELL YOU ABOUT AN AMAZING FACT I FOUND THIS OUT ABOUT THE STORY.
IT GOES TO HOW PREVALENT
ABORTION IS.
ONE IN THREE WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE
AN ABORTION BEFORE THE AGE OF 45.
>> THAT WAS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE STORY.
>>THAT'S AMAZING.
I BET YOU IF YOU ASK PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
CONSERVATIVES, WHAT PERCENTAGE
OF WOMAN GET ABORTIONS ñ IN THEIR MIND THEY THINK THOSE ARE
THE REALLY PROMISCUOUS ONES AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO REAL WOMEN.
MY GUESS IS THEY WOULD THINK IT
WAS A MUCH LOWER NUMBER, THE REALITY IS THAT IT IS A GIGANTIC
NUMBER BUT YET IT IS ALL IN THE CLOSET.
THERE ARE CRAZIES THAT
SHAME YOU, AND SOMETIMES PUT YOU IN DANGER BECAUSE OF IT.
IT
TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE FOR CHELSEA HANDLER TO COME OUT AND
SAY THIS.
I LOVE HER FOR THAT.
I FEEL THAT WAS A GREAT CHOICE TO
MAKE, IN TERMS OF COMING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT THIS.
IN TERMS OF
HER ABORTION, IT IS NOT MY BODY OR YOUR BODY, IT IS NOT YOUR
BUSINESS, IT IS HER BUSINESS.