The Truth About Fertility After Abortion
Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist who cares for patients at RMA of New York in Brooklyn, New York. She is also a board-certified assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Jackson-Bey is passionate about reproductive justice and increasing access to care for all.
Visit Tia’s Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/drtiajacksonbey
Show Notes:
1:44 Tia’s introduction
4:15 “If I’m going to make a difference in fetal and infant health than I actually need to start with women’s health”
5:25 “Helping people to achieve the families that they want”
Fear of pregnancy/fertility after abortion
7:10 “The majority of abortions in this country are safe”
7:52 “There is a very strong emotional component and unfortunately some of that has to do with shame and stigma in society”
9:22 “Those medications do not have long lasting side effects” “once the pregnancy hormone has gone down and menses has resumed again, there’s no reason to think it would have any effect of future pregnancy”
12:30 “The chance that a medical termination or a surgical termination impacted future fertility is very low”
13:39 “need to assess blame or punish yourself in a way”
No reason anyone should worry about infertility after abortion
What does fertility/infertility even mean
16:11 “not getting pregnant for 1 or 2 months is not infertility”
Other things that impact fertility
20:18 “We talk a lot about menses being a vital sign for reproductive health”
21:30 Misconceptions “come in stigma” “we really have to destigmatize abortion, it is a normal part of care”
22:54 “it takes a lot of exposure, it takes people being honest, it takes representation”
23:23 “comes from a time before safe abortions”
25:13 “I think it’s important for all persons to understand that abortion is incredibly safe”
To the people who believe they threw away or wasted their fertility
What did you gain? “Look at what you loss vs what you gained”
28:03 “We forget that there are sometimes life saving reasons for an abortion”
29:13 “anyone from prior generations who did not have that choice…”
If you’re having fertility concerns, reach out to a provider… work with a therapist or coach
@drtiajacksonbey
