At seventeen, Sally Field openly discloses her involvement in an unlawful abortion.
"Abortion rights are a major point of contention in the US election discourse. Actress Sally Field endorses Kamala Harris. For the first time, she openly confesses to having an illicit abortion at 17. A harrowing episode that Field wishes to shield young ladies from today.
"I still bear the shame," begins Academy Award winner Sally Field in an Instagram video, where she speaks publicly about her abortion at 17 for the first time. She had 'pondered over it for a long time' before discussing her 'terrible ordeal.'
The procedure was illegal in the US at the time. "It was during a worse period than now. An era when birth control wasn't as accessible," remembers the now 77-year-old. For the abortion, she had to journey to Mexico. A close family friend, a physician, accompanied her from California to Tijuana, Mexico, and handed her an envelope filled with money to take into a 'dangerous area' to a building. The excruciating procedure was conducted without anesthesia. She was expelled immediately. Field describes the experience as 'terrifying.' Many women of her generation had to secretly undergo abortions, she explains in the video.
"This is partly why so many of us back Kamala Harris and Tim Walz," writes the 'Mrs. Doubtfire' actress alongside the video. Voters in every state should opt for a party that champions reproductive freedoms. Young women in the US should not have to experience what she did due to stringent abortion regulations. 'We can't return to the past,' warns Field. 'We must fight.'**
Abortion Rights: A Pivotal US Election Debate
The dispute over abortion rights is one of the primary issues in the US election debate. Democrats, including nominee Kamala Harris, repeatedly caution that women's rights in the US are in grave peril. Over two years ago, the Supreme Court revoked the nationwide right to abortion. Former President Trump's nominations tilted the court's balance significantly to the right. This paved the way for the decision, enabling states to dictate abortion regulations - in many, abortions are now largely outlawed."
"Sally Field's courageous confession of having an abortion at 17, during a time when it was illegal in the US, sheds light on the pressing need for abortion rights. The harrowing experience served as a motivation for Field to advocate for reproductive freedoms and support politicians like Kamala Harris, who firmly stand for this cause."
"The debate over abortion rights continues to be a contentious issue in the US election discourse. Field's narrative underscores the importance of maintaining access to safe and legal abortions, highlighting the dire consequences that restriction could have for young women, just as she experienced."
