Abortion is not an easy topic to speak about for many people, but a group of women are attempting to bring down the walls of stigma and open up the conversation on Twitter.

Using the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion, women are being encouraged to share their experiences of undergoing terminations and how it has affected their lives.

Critics were quick to blast the hashtag, describing it as a ‘celebration’ of abortions. This claim was quickly refuted, with supporters saying it was simply an exercise to remove shame from the subject.

The movement is a response to news in America that vital funding will be cut to Planned Parenthood centres, deemed as ‘non-essential’ agencies under legislation.

This means that services such as advice on contraception and abortion may be affected, possibly making them less accessible to people around the US.

According to The Independent, 1 in 3 women have an abortion, proving that these services (as well as sex education and family planning advice) are still very much needed.

Abortions are currently available on the NHS in the UK as well as at private clinics such as those run by charity Marie Stopes.

For more information on abortion, visit www.mariestopes.org