On May 22, 2023, In These Times published an article entitled “What It’s Like to Have an Abortion Denied by Dobbs,” which profiles Lationna and her newborn son, Kinglsey. I encountered the article as a result of a tweet:
The tweet had already garnered a considerable number of retweets, many of which expressed negative sentiments about Lationna, her thoughts on Kinglsey, and the suitability of placing him in a different home. The majority of these comments were from individuals who are opposed to abortion. However, abortion advocates frequently express similar sentiments when they argue that abortion bans will result in increased child abuse and an overcrowded foster care system.
These are significant missteps. The decision to undergo an abortion does not preclude the woman from subsequently loving and adequately caring for her child.
In my reading of the article, I sought to identify a direct discussion of how Lationna feels about Kingsley. The most proximate reference to this subject is as follows:
The only time Lationna was able to really rest was in the morning, when she let Kingsley sleep on her and she drifted off; if she tried to put him down, he immediately started crying. Most of the day he slept silently on her body, nestled on her shoulder or curled against her forearm, tattooed with “Royalty” in big red lettering. She planned to get another tattoo with Kingsley’s name, eventually. Every time she helped Kingsley shift to a new sleeping position, she showered his plump cheeks with kisses.”–Bryce Covert, “What It’s Like to Have an Abortion Denied by Dobbs,” In These Times.
In her account, author Bryce Covert provides a comprehensive portrayal of the financial difficulties faced by Lationna, suggesting that abortion could have been a potential solution to many of these challenges. She cites Lationna’s statements regarding her concerns and anxieties, explicitly stating, “We were not prepared to have a child.”
However, it is not evident from the quotations that Lationna would have preferred abortion rather than having Kingsley with a more supportive environment. Covert makes passing references to Lationna’s ambivalent feelings about abortion, her desire to eventually give her older son, Royalty, a sibling, and her and her fiancé’s resolve to view Kingsley as a “blessing.”
Otherwise, the questions of Lationna’s feelings toward Kingsley and her continued desire to have aborted remain unanswered.
The Turnaway Study indicates that women who give birth after being unable to obtain abortions overwhelmingly report that they no longer wish they had aborted. Covert’s article makes no mention of this finding, despite discussing the Turnaway Study in detail. The article does, however, exaggerate the Study’s findings on economics. It neglects to mention that most of the economic disadvantages (for women who couldn’t abort compared to women who could) diminished or disappeared over time.
In contrast, Covert’s article suggests that the challenges associated with unintended pregnancy and childbirth are enduring. This is evidenced by a partial quotation from Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher of the Turnaway Study, which is presented in an emphatic manner.
Most women who had wanted another child later in life, under different circumstances, didn’t go on to have another, because “when they have a child before they’re ready,” Greene Foster says, those better circumstances don’t arrive.” –Bryce Covert, “What It’s Like to Have an Abortion Denied by Dobbs,” In These Times
Perhaps the most glaring omission is when Foster discusses the women who were denied abortions. Despite acknowledging their economic struggles, she fails to mention that, years later, they almost universally state that they no longer wish they had aborted. Instead, she reduces their lives to a series of perceived disadvantages (emphasis added).
Greene Foster had initially asked her subjects why they wanted an abortion; years later, she found out: “Everything they were concerned about came true for the people who were denied.”–Bryce Covert, “What It’s Like to Have an Abortion Denied by Dobbs,” In These Times
It is challenging to read an article such as Covert’s. The author presents images of a newborn infant and his mother, who appears to be affectionate towards the child. However, the text also includes a significant amount of criticism directed towards the child’s birth and existence. It is important to note that the majority of pro-choice individuals view abortion as a means of preventing the existence of a child with Down syndrome, rather than as a method of termination of an already-born infant. It is important to note that those who hold this viewpoint are not hateful; they are simply misguided.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
