Spears reveals sting of abortion in ‘The Woman in Me’
In her upcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, famed singer and songwriter, Britney Spears publicly reveals for the first time her decision to have an abortion, describing it as, “To this day, it’s one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life.”
Spears reveals a devastating reality that many women who experience an abortion also face. That is, they felt pressured, manipulated, or coerced into their abortions.
Spears writes of her experience while dating fellow musician and actor, Justin Timberlake and the impact his stance on the issue had on her. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives…” She goes on to say, “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”
70% of women describe coercion and pressure
The Lozier Institute surveyed more than 1,000 American women between the ages of 41 and 45, including over 200 women who acknowledged having had abortions. The results concluded nearly 70% of the women who had abortions described them as being coerced, pressured, or inconsistent with their own values and preferences.
Brandi Swindell, founder and CEO of Stanton Healthcare shared her response to Britney’s story and experience. “Britney’s story represents millions of women who have also experienced unwanted and forced abortions. I hope publicly sharing her story will create continued awareness that abortion trauma is real. And that she is not alone. We see you Britney… and we mourn the loss of your child with you, just as we do with the many women who access our Stanton women’s clinics looking for after abortion care and recovery. Abortion on demand has created an ‘undue burden’ on women who are often pressured into unwanted and forced abortions.”
Since the Supreme Court ruled against Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, state legislatures have either banned, restricted or improved access to abortion. CAP 20 reports, “14 states have near-total abortion bans during any point in pregnancy in effect: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Several other states have similar abortion bans that have been temporarily blocked by the courts, including Arizona, Indiana, Utah, and Wyoming.”
