Anti-Choicers Are Exhausting Jerks

[Content Note: War on agency. NB: Not only women can get pregnant.]

Everything about the anti-choice movement is terrible, and there are things much more terrible than this, but one of the terribly exhausting things about anti-choicers is their intractable assertion that people who seek abortions haven't thought it through. Study after study has found this is categorically not true, but still we get legislation like fetal heartbeat bills (IF ONLY THESE WICKED WOMEN HEAR THE HEARTBEAT...!) and mandatory ultrasound bills (IF ONLY THESE WICKED WOMEN SEE THE BABY...!) and required waiting periods (IF ONLY THESE WICKED WOMEN ARE FORCED TO THINK ABOUT THEIR DECISION...!) and shit like this:

Louisiana lawmakers are currently advancing a measure that would require women to receive biased information about the mental health risks of abortion before being allowed to continue with the procedure. Opponents warn that the anti-choice measure is simply designed to dissuade women from exercising their right to choose — particularly since the information will be written by abortion opponents.

Under House Bill 1262, which passed the Louisiana House of Representatives on Monday, abortion providers would be required to distribute a pamphlet that includes information about the "alleged psychological effects of abortion," and lists names of mental health resources for women who are seeking assistance. Patients would be required to sign a form confirming that they received the pamphlet, and then wait at least 24 hours before returning for abortion care.

Again, multiple studies have found that people who terminate pregnancies overwhelmingly do not regret their decision, and that negative emotions following an abortion are typically the result of social stigma around abortion.

According to the APA, the "most methodologically strong studies...showed that interpersonal concerns, including feelings of stigma, perceived need for secrecy, exposure to antiabortion picketing, and low perceived or anticipated social support for the abortion decision, negatively affected women's postabortion psychological experiences."

That is, anti-choice bullshit is responsible for whatever negative "psychological effects of abortion" people experience. This legislation is a snake eating its own tail—warning about potential negative consequences that are caused precisely by warnings that seek to deter abortion-seekers and undermine their confidence in their choice.