Variety of People

Abortion is
banned in Indiana.

But together we can change things, when we

How to talk about it How to take action

There’s a Lot to This Issue You May Not Know.

Hear from the people at the forefront of abortion access: Those directly affected, those who deliver care, and those whose family and community have been changed by a lack of access to reproductive health care.

What’s at Stake?
Friend Conversation - Icon
Only 13% of Hoosiers

want to ban abortion entirely1. Now that abortion access will be decided by our elected officials, your voice matters more than ever.

Why Does it Matter?
Coversation with Doctor - icon
78% of Hoosiers

believe that when someone decides to have an abortion it should be safe. Everyone should be able to get the health care they need—without politicians interfering in medical decisions.

Who Does it Affect?
Indiana - Icon
3 out of 5 Hoosiers

know someone who’s had an abortion, which isn’t surprising.2 Nearly one in four U.S. women will have an abortion in her lifetime.3

Let’s Address Some Common Misconceptions and Misinformation

Myth 1/9

Abortion is physically and mentally harmful to women.
Fact

Abortions, like other reproductive health procedures, are safe.

They have significantly fewer poor outcomes than your average colonoscopy—a similarly routine outpatient procedure. Medication abortions have even safer outcomes while being 94–98% effective before 8 weeks and 94–96% after 8 weeks.4 And getting an abortion does not increase a pregnant person’s risk of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.5 It also doesn’t increase the risk of breast cancer.6

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 2/9

Too many women use abortion as birth control. 
Fact

The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal medical decision, one that often happens after talking to trusted family members and physicians.

There are lots of reasons a person might get an abortion, and we can’t judge another Hoosier’s decision when we haven’t walked in their shoes.

Using any family planning techniques, including contraception of all kinds and abortion care are all deeply personal medical decisions based on what’s right for that person, their family, and their life. Hoosiers should have the freedom to make these decisions without interference from the state.

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 3/9

If abortion is outlawed, women will no longer receive abortions.
Fact

We know this isn’t true because it’s never been true. When governments make it harder to access abortion care, it disproportionately hurts people whose lives are already hard.

Women who can’t afford the added expense that hard-to-access care requires,  such as extra time off work or extra childcare, may not be able to receive timely care, may be forced to continue an unsafe or unwanted pregnancy, or may try to get an abortion in some unsafe way.

Outlawing abortion also means that women—especially rural, low-income, non-English speakers, or poorly educated people—will be at risk of being prosecuted for miscarriages or attempted abortions. A woman seeking medical care should not be treated as a criminal. It’s not an idle threat, it’s already happened.10

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 4/9

Pro-choice advocates want abortion to be legal up to the moment the baby is delivered.
Fact

Abortions later in pregnancy are incredibly rare—less than 1% of all abortions,11 and happen when something has gone terribly wrong.

When the worst has happened in a pregnancy, the decision about what to do next should be between a woman, her family, and her physician—not dictated by politicians looking to spark outrage. The majority of Hoosiers trust medical experts, not politicians, to keep reproductive health care safe. Every pregnancy and every woman’s circumstances are different, and one-size-fits-all laws don’t work for every unique situation.

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 5/9

Prior to Indiana’s recent ban on abortion, there were no restrictions on abortion.
Fact

The vast majority of Hoosiers agree that abortion care should be regulated by medical experts, not by politicians with political agendas.

But that’s not currently the case. Medical decisions are being hindered or even undermined by politics. Everyone should be able to get the health care they need, and certain politicians’ agendas shouldn’t dictate personal medical decisions.

You should also know that previous to the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court had set the standard that Americans have a right to abortion up to the point of viability, when a fetus can survive outside of the womb, which happens at about 24 weeks. In Indiana, abortions could only be performed until 20 weeks postfertilization.12

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 6/9

Abortion is murder.
Fact

Abortion is a matter of health care, not a criminal act.

Everyone should have the freedom to decide if and when to have children, and what’s best for them and their families. 

Being in charge of what happens to your own body is an essential part of our American, democratic society. All people, including pregnant people, should be able to get the health care they need without interference by state politicians.

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 7/9

Abortion is never necessary to save a woman’s life.
Fact

There are absolutely times when an abortion is medically necessary to save a pregnant person’s life.

If a pregnant person’s water breaks before 20 weeks the fetus won’t survive, and that person’s risk for a deadly infection increases significantly. If they get diagnosed with cancer and are pregnant, chemotherapy, a life-saving procedure, can’t be done unless they have an abortion. Placental abruption, where the placenta starts to separate from the uterus can be life-threatening, as can preeclampsia in early pregnancy. These are all worst-case scenarios, and while rare, in countries around the world where abortion is illegal they mean the death of the pregnant person.13

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 8/9

You can’t be “pro-choice” without being “pro-abortion?”
Fact

You can be a champion for your neighbors’ freedom to decide their own path without having had an abortion yourself.

You can support your fellow Hoosiers by advocating for policies that help lower the incidence of unintended pregnancies to begin with. You can demand that politicians stop twisting this issue to fit their own agendas. You can demand better healthcare options for women across the state. And you can do all that while not believing abortion is the right option for you, and your family, and where you are right now. That’s what the freedom to decide for yourself is all about.

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
Myth 9/9

This isn’t relevant to me—I don’t know anyone who’s had an abortion.
Fact

Whether you know their story or not, it’s pretty likely you do know someone who’s had an abortion—three in five Hoosiers do.

And across the United States, one in four women will have an abortion in her lifetime.14 They are people who were able to decide their own path in life, if and when to have children at the right time, with the right person. They’re our neighbors, cousins, coworkers and friends, even our mothers and grandmothers. Abortion care, family planning, and the access to all reproductive health shapes our families in ways we can’t always see on the surface.

CONTINUE READING & LISTENING TO AUDIO
01 /9
Fact

Abortions, like other reproductive health procedures, are safe.

They have significantly fewer poor outcomes than your average colonoscopy—a similarly routine outpatient procedure. Medication abortions have even safer outcomes while being 94–98% effective before 8 weeks and 94–96% after 8 weeks.4 And getting an abortion does not increase a pregnant person’s risk of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.5 It also doesn’t increase the risk of breast cancer.6

Hear Dr. Caitlin
Bernard’s Take
Fact

The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal medical decision, one that often happens after talking to trusted family members and physicians.

There are lots of reasons a person might get an abortion, and we can’t judge another Hoosier’s decision when we haven’t walked in their shoes.

Using any family planning techniques, including contraception of all kinds and abortion care are all deeply personal medical decisions based on what’s right for that person, their family, and their life. Hoosiers should have the freedom to make these decisions without interference from the state.

Hear Dr. Tracey
Wilkinson’s Take
Hear Dr. Caitlin
Bernard’s Take
Fact

We know this isn’t true because it’s never been true. When governments make it harder to access abortion care, it disproportionately hurts people whose lives are already hard.

Women who can’t afford the added expense that hard-to-access care requires,  such as extra time off work or extra childcare, may not be able to receive timely care, may be forced to continue an unsafe or unwanted pregnancy, or may try to get an abortion in some unsafe way.

Outlawing abortion also means that women—especially rural, low-income, non-English speakers, or poorly educated people—will be at risk of being prosecuted for miscarriages or attempted abortions. A woman seeking medical care should not be treated as a criminal. It’s not an idle threat, it’s already happened.10

Hear Rabbi Brett
Krichiver’s Take
Fact

Abortions later in pregnancy are incredibly rare—less than 1% of all abortions,11 and happen when something has gone terribly wrong.

When the worst has happened in a pregnancy, the decision about what to do next should be between a woman, her family, and her physician—not dictated by politicians looking to spark outrage. The majority of Hoosiers trust medical experts, not politicians, to keep reproductive health care safe. Every pregnancy and every woman’s circumstances are different, and one-size-fits-all laws don’t work for every unique situation.

Hear Dr. Caitlin
Bernard’s Take
Fact

The vast majority of Hoosiers agree that abortion care should be regulated by medical experts, not by politicians with political agendas.

But that’s not currently the case. Medical decisions are being hindered or even undermined by politics. Everyone should be able to get the health care they need, and certain politicians’ agendas shouldn’t dictate personal medical decisions.

You should also know that previous to the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court had set the standard that Americans have a right to abortion up to the point of viability, when a fetus can survive outside of the womb, which happens at about 24 weeks. In Indiana, abortions could only be performed until 20 weeks postfertilization.12

Hear Dr. Caitlin
Bernard’s Take
Hear Dr. Tracey
Wilkinson’s Take
Fact

Abortion is a matter of health care, not a criminal act.

Everyone should have the freedom to decide if and when to have children, and what’s best for them and their families. 

Being in charge of what happens to your own body is an essential part of our American, democratic society. All people, including pregnant people, should be able to get the health care they need without interference by state politicians.

Hear Rev. Patrick
Burke’s Take
Hear Rabbi Brett
Krichiver’s Take
Fact

There are absolutely times when an abortion is medically necessary to save a pregnant person’s life.

If a pregnant person’s water breaks before 20 weeks the fetus won’t survive, and that person’s risk for a deadly infection increases significantly. If they get diagnosed with cancer and are pregnant, chemotherapy, a life-saving procedure, can’t be done unless they have an abortion. Placental abruption, where the placenta starts to separate from the uterus can be life-threatening, as can preeclampsia in early pregnancy. These are all worst-case scenarios, and while rare, in countries around the world where abortion is illegal they mean the death of the pregnant person.13

Hear Rabbi Brett
Krichiver’s Take
Hear Dr. Caitlin
Bernard’s Take
Fact

You can be a champion for your neighbors’ freedom to decide their own path without having had an abortion yourself.

You can support your fellow Hoosiers by advocating for policies that help lower the incidence of unintended pregnancies to begin with. You can demand that politicians stop twisting this issue to fit their own agendas. You can demand better healthcare options for women across the state. And you can do all that while not believing abortion is the right option for you, and your family, and where you are right now. That’s what the freedom to decide for yourself is all about.

Hear Dr. Tracey
Wilkinson’s Take
Hear Rabbi Brett
Krichiver’s Take
Fact

Whether you know their story or not, it’s pretty likely you do know someone who’s had an abortion—three in five Hoosiers do.

And across the United States, one in four women will have an abortion in her lifetime.14 They are people who were able to decide their own path in life, if and when to have children at the right time, with the right person. They’re our neighbors, cousins, coworkers and friends, even our mothers and grandmothers. Abortion care, family planning, and the access to all reproductive health shapes our families in ways we can’t always see on the surface.

Hear Rima
Shahid’s Take
Hear Rabbi Brett
Krichiver’s Take

How to have conversations that lead to change

Talking about abortion is already hard. Our goal when discussing abortion access is to build rapport, find common ground, and walk in another person’s shoes—together. So here’s how we go about having conversations that matter in five parts:

Let’s break it down

The first step is to ask a question and really listen to their response. Really hear what matters to them and engage with the values your conversation partner is expressing. You can outline their beliefs back to them to build rapport and find mutual understanding. Turns out, Hoosiers agree on a lot more than you might think. So, ask them why they feel the way they do about abortion. Ask them what experiences informed their views.

Download the Guide
Let’s break it down

Many people have complicated opinions about abortion. Maybe they grew up hearing scary things about sex and conception out of wedlock and abortions. But when we open up space in a conversation for it, we can find points we have in common. Maybe we agree that every pregnancy is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Or that reproductive health care shouldn’t be hard to access. Chances are, the person you’re speaking to will agree with you on that.

Download the Guide
Let’s break it down

You can build a bridge of personal connection by sharing a story from your life or from someone you know who has had an abortion. (Make sure it’s okay to share their story!) Maybe you know someone who hasn’t been able to access adequate reproductive health care since the ban was put in place, and their future feels uncertain. Or maybe someone you know simply wasn’t ready to have a baby, and that choice was taken from them. By putting a face to a real-life example, you can illustrate how some of the values you share might lead a person to choose an abortion.

Download the guide
Let’s break it down

Ask your conversation partner about a time they made a difficult choice that was right for them, whether it was healthcare related or not. Maybe they chose to pursue a career over having children. Or maybe they decided becoming a stay-at-home parent was best for their children.

Download the guide
Let’s break it down

Summarize the values you hold in common, and relate their story of personal choice—and how choice should be available to everyone—back to that of those who are seeking abortions. If your conversation partner had an experience with abortion—either themselves or someone they know—connect on those same values and common ground you’ve been building on throughout the conversation. This can help the issue feel more personal, since every pregnancy is different. When we really listen to our neighbors’ values, put a face to the problem, and find common ground on issues that matter to them, we can have difficult conversations and change minds in the process.

Download the guide
01 Ask their opinion about abortion and listen without judgment
Let’s break it down

The first step is to ask a question and really listen to their response. Really hear what matters to them and engage with the values your conversation partner is expressing. You can outline their beliefs back to them to build rapport and find mutual understanding. Turns out, Hoosiers agree on a lot more than you might think. So, ask them why they feel the way they do about abortion. Ask them what experiences informed their views.

Download the Guide
02 Find common ground in their views and values
Let’s break it down

Many people have complicated opinions about abortion. Maybe they grew up hearing scary things about sex and conception out of wedlock and abortions. But when we open up space in a conversation for it, we can find points we have in common. Maybe we agree that every pregnancy is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Or that reproductive health care shouldn’t be hard to access. Chances are, the person you’re speaking to will agree with you on that.

Download the Guide
03 Share a story that addresses those values
Let’s break it down

You can build a bridge of personal connection by sharing a story from your life or from someone you know who has had an abortion. (Make sure it’s okay to share their story!) Maybe you know someone who hasn’t been able to access adequate reproductive health care since the ban was put in place, and their future feels uncertain. Or maybe someone you know simply wasn’t ready to have a baby, and that choice was taken from them. By putting a face to a real-life example, you can illustrate how some of the values you share might lead a person to choose an abortion.

Download the guide
04 Engage with their initial concerns and get them thinking
Let’s break it down

Ask your conversation partner about a time they made a difficult choice that was right for them, whether it was healthcare related or not. Maybe they chose to pursue a career over having children. Or maybe they decided becoming a stay-at-home parent was best for their children.

Download the guide
05 Connect back to abortion access
Let’s break it down

Summarize the values you hold in common, and relate their story of personal choice—and how choice should be available to everyone—back to that of those who are seeking abortions. If your conversation partner had an experience with abortion—either themselves or someone they know—connect on those same values and common ground you’ve been building on throughout the conversation. This can help the issue feel more personal, since every pregnancy is different. When we really listen to our neighbors’ values, put a face to the problem, and find common ground on issues that matter to them, we can have difficult conversations and change minds in the process.

Download the guide

SPEAK UP AND TAKE ACTION

Here’s what you can do to make a difference for every Hoosier
01 Make Your Voice Heard

Extreme politicians in Indiana are letting their personal religious beliefs dictate whether or not people can access abortion care. Make your position clear to your elected officials—exceptions are not enough.

Sign the Petition
02 Talk to Your People

Sincere conversations with people we trust and love are the best way to change opinions. We’ve got a conversation guide to help.

See the guide
03 Spread the Word

Share what you’ve learned and what you believe! It doesn’t feel like these are majority opinions because we don’t hear them as often. Become a squeaky wheel.

Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path—especially when the decision involves what’s best for their own body. Pregnancy is the most individual experience half the population engages in—one that most politicians don’t understand. Fight with me to change things. #LetsTalkAboutAbortionIN

COPY TEXT TEXT COPIED! / DOWNLOAD GRAPHIC

Someone else’s religious beliefs should not determine our individual healthcare decisions. The freedom to decide what’s right for our bodies and our lives should be our own. Join me, and let’s make our voices heard! #LetsTalkAboutAbortionIN

COPY TEXT TEXT COPIED! / DOWNLOAD GRAPHIC

Indiana’s abortion ban turns miscarriages, fetal abnormalities, and serious complications into impossible, life-altering situations for pregnant people and their loved ones. Most Hoosiers understand that access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care is crucial for healthy, happy families. Join me in this fight. #LetsTalkAboutAbortionIN

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Find more image sizes in the downloadable toolkit.

Download

See What Happens When Abortion Is Banned

NPR

Denied abortion for a doomed pregnancy, she tells Texas court: ‘There was no mercy’

Casiano was one of three women who gave dramatic testimony about their pregnancies in a hushed and spellbound courtroom in the case brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights. The case, on behalf of 13 patients and two doctors, argues that the medical exceptions to Texas’ laws are unclear and unworkable for doctors in ways that harm patients. They also say that the state has done nothing to clarify its laws.

Read More
NPR

At 18 weeks pregnant, she faced an immense decision with just days to make it

A woman in NC had days to decide whether to continue or terminate her pregnancy just three days after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Many of the genetic or fetal abnormalities aren’t discovered until later in pregnancy.

Read More
KFF Health News/Tampa Bay Times

To Protect a Mother’s Health: How Abortion Ban Exemptions Play Out in a Post-‘Roe’ World

The problem with narrow “life of the mother” exceptions.

Read More
NPR

Her miscarriage left her bleeding profusely. An Ohio ER sent her home to wait

A woman having a miscarriage recieves little treatment in an Ohio E.R., presumably because of fears around the abortion law.

Read More
ABC

Alabama mother denied abortion despite fetus’ ‘negligible’ chance of survival

Katie Shannon’s baby had a negligible change of survival, but she still couldn’t get an abortion.

Read More

Check our Work

There’s a lot of misleading information out there about abortion. Some of it uses citations, but cherry pick, misconstrue, or twist the meaning. We aren’t doing that here. Below are the facts we relied on for this guide, where we got them, and links to see them for yourself. Check it out.

  1. Lake Research Partners: findings from a statewide phone survey of Indiana voters in 2023, commissioned by the ACLU of Indiana. These results reflected similar polling done in Indiana and at a national level. Ball State University Hoosier Survey—only 9.3% of Hoosiers think all abortion should be banned.
  2. Lake Research Partners: findings from a statewide phone survey of Indiana voters in 2023, commissioned by the ACLU of Indiana.
  3. Guttmacher Institute: Abortion is a safe and common medical procedure. By age 20, 4.6% of women will have had an abortion, and 19% will have done so by age 30.
  4. Kaiser Family Foundation: “Medication abortion is a safe and highly effective method of pregnancy termination if the pills are administered at 9 weeks’ ge­­station or less, the pregnancy is terminated successfully 99.6% of the time, with a 0.4% risk of major complications, and an associated mortality rate of less than 0.001 percent (0.00064%).”
  5. American Psychological Association: A review of the scientific literature conducted by an APA task force and released in 2008 indicated that the relative risk of mental health problems following a single elective first-trimester abortion of is no greater risk to mental health than carrying that pregnancy to term.
  6. American Cancer Society: Scientific research studies show that medication abortions and medical abortions are not linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
  7. Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health: Women who were denied an abortion and gave birth reported more life-threatening complications like eclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage compared to those who received wanted abortions. In this study, the higher risks of childbirth were tragically demonstrated by two women who were denied an abortion and died following delivery, while no women died from an abortion.
  8. America’s Health Rankings: Indiana ranks 35th out of 50 states in the health of women and children in the state—especially because of our high maternal mortality, household smoking, and high neonatal mortality rate.
  9. “Joy in Jeopardy”: The Indianapolis Star investigated why it’s so dangerous for women to give birth in Indiana and found a number of alarming risk factors for Hoosiers—including obstetric deserts that affect more than 650,000 people in 33 counties without any obstetric care at all. Women in these counties have significant obstacles to overcome to receive the care needed for safe pregnancies and deliveries, like consistent prenatal care and proximity to emergency care. These challenges are worse for women of color.
  10. The Indianapolis Star: Purvi Patel was convicted of feticide in 2015, receiving a 20-year sentence. Her case was vacated in 2016. The Indiana Court of Appeals decision that overturned her conviction suggested that the law wasn’t meant to be applied against the women whose fetuses were involved, but the statute, nonetheless, opens the door for the state to prosecute women for doing anything that might harm a fetus—even smoking or drinking.
  11. Center for Disease Control and Prevention: In 2019, less than 1% of abortions happened after 21 weeks, and only 6.2% happened between 13 and 20 weeks, and 92.7% happened before 13 weeks.
  12. Guttmacher Institute: Indiana law prohibits abortion after 20 weeks postfertilization/22 weeks after the last menstrual period only in cases of threats to the life or severely compromised physical health of the pregnant person. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy.
  13. Human Rights Watch: In countries across Latin America, we see women, even children, dying because they can’t access abortion care.
See Our Work
  1. Lake Research Partners: findings from a statewide phone survey of Indiana voters in 2023, commissioned by the ACLU of Indiana. These results reflected similar polling done in Indiana and at a national level. Ball State University Hoosier Survey—only 9.3% of Hoosiers think all abortion should be banned.
  2. Lake Research Partners: findings from a statewide phone survey of Indiana voters in 2023, commissioned by the ACLU of Indiana.
  3. Guttmacher Institute: Abortion is a safe and common medical procedure. By age 20, 4.6% of women will have had an abortion, and 19% will have done so by age 30.
  4. Kaiser Family Foundation: “Medication abortion is a safe and highly effective method of pregnancy termination if the pills are administered at 9 weeks’ ge­­station or less, the pregnancy is terminated successfully 99.6% of the time, with a 0.4% risk of major complications, and an associated mortality rate of less than 0.001 percent (0.00064%).”
  5. American Psychological Association: A review of the scientific literature conducted by an APA task force and released in 2008 indicated that the relative risk of mental health problems following a single elective first-trimester abortion of is no greater risk to mental health than carrying that pregnancy to term.
  6. American Cancer Society: Scientific research studies show that medication abortions and medical abortions are not linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
  7. Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health: Women who were denied an abortion and gave birth reported more life-threatening complications like eclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage compared to those who received wanted abortions. In this study, the higher risks of childbirth were tragically demonstrated by two women who were denied an abortion and died following delivery, while no women died from an abortion.
  8. America’s Health Rankings: Indiana ranks 35th out of 50 states in the health of women and children in the state—especially because of our high maternal mortality, household smoking, and high neonatal mortality rate.
  9. “Joy in Jeopardy”: The Indianapolis Star investigated why it’s so dangerous for women to give birth in Indiana and found a number of alarming risk factors for Hoosiers—including obstetric deserts that affect more than 650,000 people in 33 counties without any obstetric care at all. Women in these counties have significant obstacles to overcome to receive the care needed for safe pregnancies and deliveries, like consistent prenatal care and proximity to emergency care. These challenges are worse for women of color.
  10. The Indianapolis Star: Purvi Patel was convicted of feticide in 2015, receiving a 20-year sentence. Her case was vacated in 2016. The Indiana Court of Appeals decision that overturned her conviction suggested that the law wasn’t meant to be applied against the women whose fetuses were involved, but the statute, nonetheless, opens the door for the state to prosecute women for doing anything that might harm a fetus—even smoking or drinking.
  11. Center for Disease Control and Prevention: In 2019, less than 1% of abortions happened after 21 weeks, and only 6.2% happened between 13 and 20 weeks, and 92.7% happened before 13 weeks.
  12. Guttmacher Institute: Indiana law prohibits abortion after 20 weeks postfertilization/22 weeks after the last menstrual period only in cases of threats to the life or severely compromised physical health of the pregnant person. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy.
  13. Human Rights Watch: In countries across Latin America, we see women, even children, dying because they can’t access abortion care.