Abortions in TV

For decades, abortion in TV, films, and even music was pretty much invisible. If it did show up, it was either a plot twist or something to be ashamed of. As we know, real people have their very real experiences, but the media has yet to catch up, until now. 

To be honest, in doing my research, it still wasn’t as common as I’d secretly hoped, given that 1 in 3 people have had an abortion. That said, recently, we’ve noticed this is starting to change (yay!) Slowly but surely, TV shows are beginning to show abortion as it really is, a deeply personal decision, sometimes complicated, sometimes casual and most of all, a choice. 

Here’s a little look at some of the TV shows that include abortions in their narrative… 

Sex and the City

If we’re talking about sex, we have to talk about Sex and the City!

One episode follows Miranda, our favourite independent woman, who genuinely thinks about having an abortion and tells her girls at brunch. Samantha and Carrie admit that they have had abortions themselves, helping to normalise this for her. Charlotte is judgmental, but that is part of her personality, and it is more complicated as she has been unsuccessful in getting pregnant herself. 

Even though Miranda decides not to go through with this, this is still a pretty big deal. Back then, TV rarely talked about abortion, let alone one of the biggest TV shows. 

Jane the Virgin

The series actually starts with the main character Jane seriously considering one, after being accidentally inseminated with someone’s sperm, in the end she does decide to continue with the pregnancy. Yes, she really was a pregnant virgin, classic telenovela, super dramatic tv show. 

What’s even more interesting and actually pretty REAL in a telenovela is that it’s actually Jane’s mother, Xiomara, who ends up having an abortion. This is a really interesting narrative as their family, particularly her mother (Jane’s Abeula, aka Grandmother) is very religious, and disagrees with abortion, so it’s an extra empowering storyline to see a woman not taking the expected path, but instead doing what is her choice. 

It’s complicated, and heartfelt, but ultimately, Xiomara’s choice.

Sex Education 

Maeve’s abortion episode is told in a really beautiful and touching way. Teen-focused shows rarely handle abortion this realistically, and it’s especially meaningful to see an older woman with kids of her own going through the same thing. Maeve, who we usually see as tough, does find the experience hard, but she gets through it with support.

The older woman, Sarah, explains that she has three kids and actually feels more regret about having them than about the abortion. Her line, “It’s better not being a mum at all than being a bad one,” is incredibly emotional.

Otis, the main character is very sweet, and even gets her flowers while she’s going through the abortion, and hilariously befriends the anti-abortion protesters, who are clueless themselves, and even have their own relationship struggles. 

I May Destroy You

Michaela Coel is such a fantastic actor, writer, and I’m so glad she touches on abortion in her painful but powerful TV show, I May Destroy you. 

Even though it’s not spoken about through dialogue, there is an episode where her character, Arabella finds some memories of her abortion under her bed. This is unsettling to say the least, but definitely adds to the conversation around bodily autonomy which she explores through the show. 

BoJack Horseman 

BoJack Horseman, is a surreal TV show at the best of times but in “Brrap Brrap Pew Pew,” one of BoJack’s friends Diane has an abortion, and it’s good, chaotic as ever episode (which is what BoJack Horseman is like). But more important, it doesn’t follow the common narrative of ‘I had an abortion and I regret it.’ 

I really love the quote from Diane here that illustrates that. So real!

When TV show these stories honestly, it helps us see the people behind the choices with empathy instead of judgment. And honestly? We could definitely use more of that!

Let us know in the comments your favourite depictions of abortions in media…

Written by Dani Conlon