My Body, My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights (Orca Issues, 2) - Softcover

Stevenson, Robin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1459817125 ISBN 13: 9781459817128

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2019

Synopsis

★“Required reading for teens of every gender.”―Booklist, starred review

Abortion is one of the most common of all medical procedures. But it is still stigmatized, and all too often people do not feel they can talk about their experiences.

Making abortion illegal or hard to access doesn't make it any less common; it just makes it dangerous. Around the world, tens of thousands of women die from unsafe abortions every year.

People who support abortion rights have been fighting hard to create a world in which the right to access safe and legal abortion services is guaranteed. The opposition to this has been intense and sometimes violent, and victories have been hard won.

The long fight for abortion rights is being picked up by a new generation of courageous, creative and passionate activists. This book is about the history, and the future, of that fight.

About this title

About the Author

Robin Stevenson is the award-winning author of more than thirty-five books of fiction and non-fiction for kids and teens, including the picture books Pride Puppy, Pride Colors and A Hug on the Wind, and the novel The Book of Jupiter. Her books have won the Silver Birch Award, the Sheila A. Egoff award and a Stonewall Honor, and been finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Lambda Literary Awards and many reader’s choice awards. Her work has been translated and published in more than ten countries, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Robin was the Book and Periodical Council of Canada’s Champion of Free Expression for 2022. In 2023, she was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. She is also a co-founder of Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans. She has degrees in philosophy and social work, and worked for ten years as a social worker and counsellor before becoming a full-time writer. Robin lives on the west coast of Canada with her family.

From the Back Cover

abortion rights, feminism, activism, marginalization, justice, pro-choice, reproductive rights

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-While one in four women in North America has an abortion by age 45, there is still an immense stigma around this usually low-risk medical procedure. This text explains why stigma still exists as well as the past, present, and future of abortion rights worldwide. This guide first discusses what abortions are and the types usually performed. Stevenson then delves into the history of abortion, and the fight for abortion rights in North America and across the globe. Following this breakdown, the writer explains how and why abortion rights have been fought against, followed by highlighting medical professionals and students who have supported the right to choose, abortion myths and facts, and the religious community's and government's impact on reproductive rights. More importantly, readers learn how racist and sexist attitudes and laws still unfairly impact an individual's right and ability to obtain birth control or have a safe abortion. The guide concludes with personal stories of individuals who have had abortions and addresses that there are communities often left out of the conversation. Readers will appreciate and find value in the colorful photographs and illustrations, quotes, and comics provided and will finish the guide feeling empowered. Youth will be armed with concrete tips and advice on how they can help fight against abortion stigma and support their right and others' right to make this important decision for themselves. VERDICT This comprehensive, empowering, and accessible resource will be of great use to teens interested in learning more about ­reproductive rights either for school or for personal knowledge.-Jess Gafkowitz, ­Brooklyn Public Libraryα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459817125
• ISBN 13: 9781459817128
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176