Not Alone: New website urges women to talk about their abortions – on video

A new website named Not Alone is urging women to share their abortion experiences via video, in a bid to stop the world calling them 'baby killers'

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by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

Sherry Matusoff Merfish, along with her daughters and patient advocate Emily Letts, who recently shared a video of herself having an abortion, has created a new website called Not Alone.

"There is no need to feel ashamed. In fact, women should feel a responsibility"

The website, which launches on 8th July, will be the first online open forum for women to tell their abortion stories on camera.

Speaking with Cosmopolitan, Sherry explained: “What was immediately clear to us was there needed to be a vehicle for women to come forward to tell their stories.

“We felt a responsibility to the women sharing their lives with us. We didn’t know if it would be a nonprofit, a community centre, or a political campaign. We just knew we had an opportunity to make a difference.”

WATCH: WOMAN FILMS HERSELF HAVING AN ABORTION TO SHOW OTHERS IT ISN'T SCARY

Not Alone aims to be a website with a single mission: Get as many women as possible to tell their abortion stories on video.

Anyone can visit the site to view real women talking about their abortions, then film and upload stories of their own using YouTube or any other video-sharing software.

And that's not all; every time a woman shares a video, a donation will be made to Provide, which trains health care providers on safe abortion procedures in communities with few or no abortion clinics.

READ: MOTHER DEFENDS ABORTION LIMIT, INSISTING HER PREMATURE DAUGHTER 'LOOKED LIKE A FOETUS'

Emily, who sparked outrage with her own abortion video, added: "A lot of the criticism I hear is that abortion is too private. We shouldn’t be talking about it, much less filming it.

"But if we don’t take strong measures like this, these laws are going to win. We are going to lose our rights.”

Sherry summed up why she and the other women are working to help break the stigma on abortion.

READ: UK ABORTION LAW SET FOR MAJOR REVAMP FOLLOWING SCANDAL OF SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTIONS

She said: "There is no need to feel ashamed. In fact, women should feel a responsibility. I know it’s hard. It’s not easy being called a baby killer or even being a woman who possesses sexuality today.

"But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak up. You must. The only way to win back our rights is to show how important they are to us.”

Do you agree with Sherry - do women need to speak up about their abortions?

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