Abortion Book Summary - Abortion Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Abortion summary

Jessica Valenti

Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win

18 mins

Brief summary

Abortion by Jessica Valenti is a crucial examination of the societal, political, and personal dimensions surrounding abortion. The book advocates for women's reproductive rights and challenges prevailing misconceptions and stigmas.

Table of Contents

    Abortion
    Summary of 6 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 6

    Abortion is good

    Pro-choice Americans, and pro-choice politicians especially, have a bad habit. They speak about abortion tentatively and apologetically, acknowledging nuance and gray areas. They frame abortion as a fraught individual choice rather than an essential right and freedom. Sticking to this tepid messaging didn’t help them protect the Roe ruling. Worse, it cedes the moral high ground.

    In this debate, the moral high ground has been loudly and repeatedly claimed by anti-abortionists. Let’s be very clear: forcing someone who doesn’t want to be pregnant to stay pregnant is both dangerous and cruel. Forcing rape victims to “prove” they have been raped before allowing them to access reproductive care is dehumanizing and humiliating. Making devastated people carry dead or dying fetuses to term is utterly wrong, as is forcing children to give birth. Any group that can support these policies definitely does not have the moral high ground. 

    Forcing people to give birth against their will is wrong and bad. But there’s more to it than that. We also need to acknowledge that abortion is good. 

    Abortion recognizes the humanity of people, especially women. Some pro-lifers are opposed to abortion on the grounds of “fetal personhood,” which defines fertilized eggs and zygotes as “persons” in the constitutional sense. When the well-being of a group of cells is placed above the well-being of a person, that person’s humanity is eradicated. The right to abortion recognizes the humanity of women.

    Abortion is safe and common. One in four American women will have an abortion. Ninety-nine percent of people who have an abortion will say they don’t regret the procedure. As for the procedure itself? It’s extremely safe and, generally, straightforward. You’re more likely to experience complications from a wisdom-tooth removal than from an abortion. Thanks to innovations in reproductive health care, abortions are becoming even safer and easier to access, through technology like abortion pills.

    Abortion does not rob potential. Anti-abortionists often like to pose hypotheticals like: “A terminated fetus might have grown up to cure cancer.” Do you know who else might cure cancer? A woman who’s had an abortion, and is able to pursue her scientific career in a way that she might not have, had she had to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. That same hypothetical woman might, thanks to her abortion, contribute to society in a myriad of other ways including, if she chose to, through having a family on her own terms.

    Abortion has both economic and health benefits. In the Turnaway Study, a group of one thousand women were monitored over five years. Some women with unwanted pregnancies had abortions. Some women with unwanted pregnancies were not able to access abortions. The study showed that women denied abortions were more likely to stay with an abusive partner, have serious pregnancy complications, suffer from anxiety and poor physical health, and live in poverty. Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term actually quadruples her chances of ending up below the poverty line.

    So. Abortion is not a controversial or ethically complex topic. Abortion – morally, socially, economically, practically – is good.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Abortion?

    Key ideas in Abortion

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Abortion about?

    Abortion (2024) exposes the relentless conservative efforts to restrict women’s freedom, especially through anti-abortion legislation, offering a clear view of both overt and covert attacks on reproductive rights. It serves as a vital resource for both new and seasoned abortion advocates.

    Who should read Abortion?

    • Activists seeking essential knowledge on the current reproductive-rights landscape
    • Health-care providers learning how legislation affects patients’ reproductive choices
    • Voters trying to stay informed on reproductive rights

    About the Author

    Jessica Valenti is a best-selling author, feminist writer, and outspoken advocate for women’s rights, with a particular focus on reproductive justice. She founded the blog Feministing and has authored several influential books, including Sex Object and The Purity Myth.

    Categories with Abortion

    Book summaries like Abortion

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    35 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial