Women Talk Through Their Abortions on TikTok

At a time of heightened confusion and legal battles over access to abortion, women are looking to social media for answers.

“Have an abortion with me,” a single mother from Brooklyn named Sunni says as she twirls around her kitchen to light jazzy piano, before walking TikTok viewers through the steps she took to end her pregnancy at home.

With states expanding restrictions on abortion and the issue likely to be at the forefront of the presidential election, women are creating videos on social media describing their own abortions and sharing practical information on how to obtain one.

Sunni explained to viewers that she was craving information when she was planning her abortion. “This is the video I was looking for,” she said.

The reaction to her video, which has been viewed more than 400,000 times and has drawn comments of both commiseration and condemnation, shows how deeply personal and divisive the issue remains in the run up to the November elections.

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“This is the video I was looking for,” Sunni said in her widely shared TikTok.Credit…Paola Chapdelaine for The New York Times

One viewer, a campaigner with the group Protect Life Michigan, remixed the video on the group’s own TikTok account, criticizing Sunni for her lighthearted tone and for making the video at all.

@mikaelaattu Having an abortion was honestly such a peaceful experience for me, the staff were so kind and supportive. The whole procedure I didn’t feel any physical pain and after the medication wore off I felt completely fine other then feeling a little loopy. My husband and I went for a walk after to go get some food and just talked threw how we were feeling about the whole experience.(Highly recommend taking time to bond with your partner if your lucky to have that support) I ended up having the surgical abortion btw. You are not alone 🤍 time for the healing to begin #abortionawarenesss #abortion ♬ Get You The Moon – Kina

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