It’s been 43 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal in the U.S. Today, young people are leading the fight to protect choice and advocate for reproductive justice.
Looking to get the young people you work with involved in protecting the right to abortion? Check out these resources from across the web and social media that inform, engage, and activate young people’s passion for protecting their rights.
Guttmacher Institute
For an introduction to abortion in the United States, check out this video. Reproductive health stats and facts are presented in bite size, infographic-like pieces which are easy to digest and fun to watch (bonus—they have a version in Spanish, too!). Check out their video archive for more on abortion in the United States and abroad in English, Spanish, and French.
Urge
Urge empowers young people to participate in reproductive health activism through campus chapters, internships, and issue briefs that help youth navigate the political and legal landscape of abortion.
They also have a comprehensive sexuality education program which includes resources for policy advocacy and campus assessment. And they get that reproductive justice must include people who are LGBTQ!
1 in 3 Campaign
Did you know that 1 in 3 American women will have an abortion by the time they are 45? The 1 in 3 Campaign destigmatizes abortion through powerful storytelling. I dare you to listen to this seventeen-year-old’s story and not be moved:
Check out more videos in English and in Spanish, including the story of Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Federation’s President. The 1 in 3 campaign also connects youth to campus activism resources, as well as other resources for supporting women who have experienced abortion.
#shoutyourabortion
The #shoutyourabortion hashtag surfaced on Twitter as a way for people to stand up for the right to abortion in the aftermath of Republican efforts to defunded Planned Parenthood. Amelia Bonow, #shoutyourabortion co-founder, had this to say about the hashtag: “A shout is not a celebration or a value judgment; it’s the opposite of a whisper, of silence. Even women who support abortion rights have been silent, and told they were supposed to feel bad about having an abortion.”
This is reproductive justice activism for the Twitter age:
My abortion was in 2008. It saved my life and allowed me to escape an abusive, emotionally and physically violent man. #ShoutYourAbortion
— meagan rivera (@mgnwrites) September 21, 2015
Had a 2nd trimester abortion due to fetal abnormality. Also have 2 kids. Life happens & abortion is part of it. #shoutyourabortion — fs910 (@fs910) January 9, 2016
#shoutyourabortion has since expanded to become an abortion storytelling platform that aims to change the cultural conversation about abortion by placing women’s voices at the center.
Tumblr
When it comes to finding your voice on sexual and reproductive health, young people on Tumblr are leading the way through creating, sharing, and remixing engaging content.
Ipas on Tumblr has resources for future medical professionals (in Spanish as well!), and links to relevant current events related to safe abortion access. And they even have a fellowship program.
Pro-Choice Youth on Tumblr provides a space for youth to create and participate in a pro-choice community. Posts hit a good balance between informative and snarky, as any good Tumblr should. I loved this great convo about gender inclusivity and abortion, in addition to their resources and space to submit questions, stories, rants, and a list of recommended blogs.
YTH is dedicated to working in partnership with youth and their providers to advance health, including reproductive justice. Connect with youth, educators, tech experts, and other health professionals who are passionate about sexual and reproductive health and justice at YTH Live, the youth + tech + health conference. >> register today
tags: abortion, activism, reproductive health, reproductive justice.
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