[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Hilarie Burton got real about her own abortion experience following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The One Tree Hill alum took to Instagram on Tuesday, where she revealed that undergoing an abortion actually made it possible for her to have her 4-year-old daughter George with husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan. She explained in a caption on a photo of her little girl:
“This is my child. My beloved. My daughter. It is no secret I struggled with infertility. Losing multiple pregnancies before her was traumatic. But female bodies are all different and unpredictable. Having an abortion after my fetus died allowed for my uterus to heal in a way that made it healthy enough to carry future pregnancies. It doesn’t matter if you use the term D&C. The official word on the hospital paperwork is abortion. That’s what it was.”
And that’s what is now illegal for many women.
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That day was already “painful,” but the actress pointed out it could have been a LOT worse for her if the procedure she needed had been illegal at the time. As she explained:
“If abortion had been illegal, and law enforcement inspected my body to make sure I hadn’t caused my own miscarriage. Cause that’s what’s coming. It’s already happened. It was commonplace before #roevwade. Row V Wade protected my rights as a woman to have miscarriages without scrutiny.”
We cannot stress this enough. This is just one of the many reasons why laws protecting the right to have an abortion are incredibly important. A pregnancy loss is already traumatic enough without the added stress of worrying about whether or not you’ll face legal ramifications because of it — especially since there is a gray area to this.
As Hilarie mentioned, she underwent D&C or Dilation and Curettage, which is a very common and safe surgical method used for abortions to remove tissue from the uterus. According to the American Pregnancy Association, it is also recommended for women who miscarry within the first trimester or suffer an incomplete miscarriage as it prevents complications such as infection or hemorrhaging. Additionally, it can help start the healing process after losing a child. So with this in mind, we cannot help but think of all the horrific and potentially fatal consequences that will occur without laws protecting abortion rights.
The 39-year-old momma added:
“Now I know a lot of you have miscarried. You’ve written me to tell me about it. Think about every loss and then compound it by knowing that the Supreme Court just said it’s okay for states to look at you as a murder suspect in that situation. Your miscarriage will make you a murder suspect. I can’t say this clearly enough or shout it loud enough.”
After making it clear she was “only” able to have her child because of her abortion, she concluded with a pointed message to anyone who are not fighting for the right to have one:
“So f**k you very much to the Supreme Court. And f**k you to the ignorant right wing extremists who want my daughter to have fewer rights than what I was born with. #wewillnotgoback”
Nothing but appreciation for Hilarie speaking out about this important topic right now. You can check out her entire post (below):
Reactions, Perezcious readers?
[Image via Hilarie Burton/Instagram]
The post Hilarie Burton Explains Why She Wouldn’t Have Been Able To Have Her Daughter Without Getting An Abortion appeared first on Perez Hilton.