Several post videos on social media where they give tips on how to perform an abortion on yourself. These methods can be both life-threatening and will often not work – so you will not be able to terminate the pregnancy. The methods consist of various seeds, herbs, foods and other physical actions that are supposed to initiate a miscarriage without the help of health personnel. – Going to kill people The trend started in June, when the constitutional right to safe and legal abortion in the USA was removed. This was called Roe V. Wade. Several American doctors have come out and warned against the videos, as they fear for women’s lives and health. Mary Jane Minkin, an American gynecologist and professor at Yale University, has, among other things, come out to warn: – I am horrified. This is going to take people’s lives, she says to Rolling Stone. Excessive use of herbs and physical methods in particular can be very harmful to women’s health. Such videos have increased in popularity after the abortion rights of women become increasingly strict in the USA. With the hashtag #Roevwade, there is no doubt what the videos want to conveyTikTok videos where it is claimed that papaya seeds can lead to miscarriage. In order not to be removed from TikTok, the video is often camouflaged, and does not use the word abortion, but rather formulated as methods to “start” menstruation in women. As more states in the US get stricter abortion requirements, both the number of videos and the number of viewers under hashtags such as #Roevwade, #WomenHealth, #SafeAbrotionsForAll and #HerbalAbortions are increasing. Several write “We cannot ban abortions, only safe abortions”. Autumn will be decisive After Roe v. Wade was removed, several states have, or are on the way to, stricter rules against abortion. Facts about Roe v. Wade The woman “Jane Roe” won a case against the state of Texas by Attorney General Henry Wade in 1973. The woman had sued the state of Texas to be able to have an abortion. This case caused the US Supreme Court to establish the right to privacy, which is enshrined in the US Constitution. should also give every woman the right to decide on her own life and therefore also make the decision herself to terminate or continue a pregnancy until the fetus is viable. It is this Supreme Court judgment that has laid the foundation for the right to a legal and safe abortion in the United States for almost fifty years, but which was overturned this summer. According to Amnesty, every year 22,000 people die as a result of an unsafe and illegal abortion, and the number of people who are injured is far less. In at least 14 states, abortion is now prohibited, according to The New York Times, which keeps track of developments. Sofie Høgestøl, who is a US expert and associate professor of jurisprudence at the University of Oslo, is following developments closely: – The abortion issue is really something that divides the Americans, and therefore it makes this by-election both extra exciting and extra important, she says. USA expert Høgestøl explains that the abortion issue is one of the biggest issues of contention in the USA. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Høgestøl explains that when the national right disappeared, it was up to the politicians and voters to decide on women’s right to abortion: – And this happens all over the United States, so that there is an extremely large difference in how the various states treat the right to abortion and not, explains Høgestøl. The mid-term elections in the USA will be held on 9 November, but the change in the right to abortion is also happening on a conveyor belt in various states across the country. Last Friday, September 16, the governor of West Virginia signed a bill banning almost all abortions, effective immediately. The only exceptions are medical emergencies, or if it is proven that the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape. Offering shelter for other women In the USA, the hashtag “camping” has also spread, which is also a phenomenon that arose in the wake of the strict abortion rules. Here, women offer shelter to other women who want an abortion. They then live in a state where abortion is still legal, but close to the border of a state where abortion is illegal. Tiktok who offers shelter for women who want to have an abortion Such videos with “safe place” are spreading across TikTok. The song “Paris” from the Chainsmokers is repeated in the videos. Again, the women hide the real message by using the term “camping”, because they are afraid that the videos will be deleted by TikTok. In the videos, the song “Paris” by The Chainsmokers is usually in the background with the text “If we go down, we go down together”. The aim is to help women in disadvantaged situations to have an abortion. Strict abortion laws affect different social groups and women very differently. Women living in poverty, minority groups and young women are particularly hard hit. – They usually lack funds, contacts and the opportunity to travel to another state, which increases the risk of dangerous and unsafe abortions, explains Høgestøl. How women died 40-50 years ago – The trend is setting women back 40-50 years, with knitting needles and hangers as methods of ending pregnancies. This is how women died in the past, says Siri Kløkstad. She works as a gynecologist at Sex og Samfunn. It is the country’s largest center for sexual and reproductive health and rights, and mainly offers services for those under the age of 25. – Papaya seeds, punches to the stomach and other methods that are spread on TikTok are not safe abortion methods, emphasizes Kløkstad. Siri Kløkstad emphasizes that abortion is something that must be carried out by health personnel. Photo: Privat For her, it is important to emphasize that the methods on TikTok are not something Norwegian young people have to consider: – One thing is the USA where some women feel they have to, or are actually in a situation where this is the only option. In Norway, abortion is fortunately part of the public health system. This is a right all women and girls have, says Kløkstad. Kløkstad is concerned that women throughout the country must receive good information about what options and rights they actually have. It is especially important to reach young women who become pregnant and watch the TikTok videos. Abortion is free in Norway, and you do not have to state any reason why you want to have an abortion as long as it is before week 12. – Pregnant women who do not want to be, are a vulnerable group who need a lot of support and care, both in the USA and here in Norway. That you take the time to look after these women is extremely important, and not something we must take for granted here in Norway, concludes Kløkstad. If you need information or to talk to someone about abortion or pregnancy: Chat at amathea.no, or telephone 90 65 90 60. You can also contact your GP, the health centre, the hospital, the family counseling office or the social welfare office to get information, advice or someone to talk to – both before and after a possible abortion.
ttn-69
Dangerous abortion trend – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
