Taren Holliman
April 17, 2025

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted an abortion. The immediate decision didn't come from fear or confusion; it came from clarity. I was too sick to work, constantly running out of my classes to throw up and juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat. Behind all of that was a mental health battle I'd been quietly fighting for years, and I didn't have access to the support I needed. There was no way I could carry this pregnancy to term—and, more importantly, I didn't want to. It was my body. It was my life, and I made my decision. It really should have been that simple. But almost immediately, I learned how hard it was to access abortion care.

This is America, after all — where racist, sexist policies are so deeply embedded into our institutions that they shape who gets access to essential care and who gets left behind. And for folks most impacted by systemic inequities—like disparities in income, health insurance and medical racism—no one is facing the brunt of these bans and restrictions like Black women.

Continued: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/black-maternal-health-abortion-access