In an emotional Instagram post, Milla Jovovich revealed that she had an emergency late-term abortion under difficult circumstances. The story was a painful one to share, but Jovovich explained that she did so in an effort to raise awareness about what’s at stake for women in states like Georgia where abortion restrictions are becoming so “draconian” that abortion will essentially be outlawed.
Jovovich prefaced her post by saying she typically doesn’t get political on social media unless she “really [has] to” and this is one of those times. The actor went on to describe the six-week abortion bans that have been set in motion and will likely soon become law in Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa, and North Dakota. (Hours after Jovovich’s post, Alabama passed the most restrictive abortion bill in the country.)
Jovovich went on to explain why the issue is personal to her — two years ago, the mother of two was pregnant and far from home when she required an emergency abortion. “I was 4 1/2 months pregnant and shooting on location in Eastern Europe. I went into pre term labor and told that I had to be awake for the whole procedure,” Jovovich recounted. “It was one of the most horrific experiences I have ever gone through.”
Jovovich says she was “alone and helpless” during the procedure and she still has nightmares about it. “When I think about the fact that women might have to face abortions in even worse conditions than I did because of new laws, my stomach turns,” the actor wrote.
After the experience, Jovovich recalls that she became depressed and isolated. She took time off from her career, but had “to keep a strong face for [her] two amazing kids.” Through activities like gardening and exercise, Jovovich says she was able to come out on the other side — but the memory of what she went through will stay with her for the rest of her life.
“No woman wants to go through [an abortion]. But we have to fight to make sure our rights are preserved to obtain a safe one if we need to,” she concluded. “I never wanted to speak about this experience. But I cannot remain silent when so much is at stake.”
It’s been proven time and time again that outlawing abortion doesn’t prevent women from having abortions — but it does prevent them from having safe abortions. When a safe, legal abortion isn’t accessible, women are forced to go to dangerous lengths to terminate pregnancies. Last August, just one week after the Senate in Argentina rejected a bill that would have legalized abortion up to 14 weeks, a 24-year-old mother of two died after attempting to perform an abortion at home. As abortion laws become increasingly restrictive in America, we should unfortunately be prepared to see an increase in severe injuries and deaths due to unsafe abortions. And that’s exactly why we need to follow Jovovich’s advice and continue to fight for every woman’s right to choose, regardless of where she lives.
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