Chelsea Handler writes essay on why she will never regret having two abortions

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

One in three women has had an abortion, and almost all of them in the US (95 per cent), did not regret it.

But the stigma surrounding abortion means being able to talk about it afterwards is still a problem for many women.

And while thousands of women have had repeat abortions, disclosing more than one termination to anyone bar a trusted few is a virtually unthinkable prospect for most.

Overcoming the stimga-shame cycle can feel like an insurmountable task, but the women speaking about their abortions in the public eye are helping to counter it. One of these women is Chelsea Handler, who has spoken about terminating two pregnancies in a forthright essay for Playboy. In her essay, she explained why she is grateful that she could obtain safe, legal abortions on both occasions at the age of 16 while many women are still unable to do so over three decades later.

“Getting unintentionally pregnant more than once is irresponsible, but it’s still necessary to make a thoughtful decision," she wrote. "We all make mistakes all the time. I happened to f**k up twice at the age of 16. I’m grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family. I’m 41 now. I don’t ever look back and think, God, I wish I’d had that baby."

Handler said the polarising debate on abortion would always be divisive, but the choice should always be firmly in the hands of the woman.

“Again, it’s like racism and sexism: People will be racist if they’re innately built that way, but whether they can act on their racism or not is a separate issue. There are people who think women shouldn’t hold high-powered positions, or who think Obama is Muslim, and it’s okay for them to have those thoughts; they just can’t act on them in a civilised society. It’s okay if you think it’s not right for women to have abortions—but it’s not your problem, because we decide.”

Handler’s essay comes as restrictive abortion laws in Texas which led to the closure of half of the state’s clinics, significantly reducing women’s access to terminations, were struck down by the US Supreme Court overnight. Democratic senator Wendy Davis, who famously led an 11-hour filibuster against even more restrictive abortion laws in the state, said she felt “vindicated on behalf of all women” after the landmark ruling was announced overnight.

Davis told The Washington Post: “I feel vindicated on behalf of the women who will once again access safe and legal abortion care in our state. I feel vindicated on behalf of them and the fact that their health will no longer be jeopardised as a consequence of this particular law.”