Abortion The Choice Documentary Review Activity

1. Describe/Outline the MAJOR themes of the video

Life is about choices, and we need to choose which path is the right and wrong path to us. Every year thousands of women must decide. Nearly 200,000 choose to have an abortion. Almost every year 70,000 woman come to Marie Stopes to have an abortion. While abortion is one of the biggest decisions that a woman must make, lots of questions run through there mind during this time. These women must choose to have an abortion or not. Most of the woman in this film wish they would have asked themselves some questions. What will I feel like after I make the decision to have an abortion? Who do I live for? How will my decision affect others?

Describe the experience for each of the woman featured in the video:

1. Margaret (24 years old).

 Margaret has two children with Leon, and they are separated. Margret is 14 weeks pregnant and wants to have an abortion. She realizes every day that passes, the fetus continues to grow. Margaret has made the decision to visit Marie Stopes abortion clinic. At the clinic she explains to them that she feels lonely and must make a difficult decision. Margaret feels that because she is raising two kids on her own already, she is not mentally and physically able to raise a third on her own. While at the clinic, Margaret decides to have the third child aborted. The fetus has started to move and realizes that each day the baby continues to grow, she needs to have the abortion quick, or she is going to feel guilty. She and Leon have decided to go back to the clinic. While on the train, Margaret calls her friend, which does not believe in abortion. When they arrive at the clinic, she has decided that she is going to abort the baby today. She explains to them that currently her two kids have health problems, and she cannot take the chance of her third to have them too. While Margaret is having the fetus aborted, Leon explains that he does not agree with her decision, but because he is not present, he feels it is her decisions to make. After the abortion Margaret regrets her decision and is upset. She cannot stop thinking about her decision. Two weeks after the abortion she rather forget about it and act like nothing has happened. Leon feels it is his place to comfort her but realizes he is not there. Later, Margaret and Leon get back together and continue to raise their two children.

2. Varria (34 years old)

Varria had an abortion 10 years ago at 23 weeks. 15 years ago, Varria fled her country because of the civil war. She was unhappy and didn’t want a child. Varria told herself that she couldn’t do it, so she called and canceled her appointment. After deciding to have the abortion, she seen them carry the baby away in a carry bag and felt disgusted with herself. She felt shame, guilt and a sense of pressure. She goes on to say it was not her fault and says she felt pressured to do so. Later Varria realizes it was all her fault and she made the decision. 

3. Carmel (18 years old)

Carmel had an abortion at 23 weeks. She said that she loves kids and dreams to become a social worker. Carmel feels that having an abortion was the right thing to do. After making this decision she regrets aborting the baby at 23 weeks. She wishes she would have done it sooner than she did. Carmel begins to imagine how life would be with her aborted child. She feels that this baby would have helped her mature if she would not have aborted the baby. Each year around her birthday, Carmel remembers her child because their birthdays would have been close and regrets her decision. Years later, Carmel has a son feels she is a good mom too him. 

4. Hanna (25 years old)

Hanna had an abortion at 7weeks. Hanna graduated drama school last year and plans to pursue a career with her degree. Hanna visits a church and doesn’t believe in God but feels she is doing something wrong. She says that she doesn’t believe abortion is a sin and sees nothing wrong with her decision. After her abortion she feels a bit numb as if she had lost something. Now Hanna acts as if nothing has happened. 

5. Cheryl (29 years old) 

Cheryl has had four abortions in the last 10 years and feels that there is not a fetus growing in her, she feels its just a group of cells growing in her. Cheryl was pregnant when she and her husband got the news that he had leukemia. She felt 90% sure that her husband did not want her to have the abortion. After her last abortion she is lost and doesn’t know how to feel.  Her husband’s 25th death anniversary is approaching, and she is faced with lots of emotions, including her recent termination. Cheryl thinks it is best that she goes and sees a counselor to get help with her decisions and emotions. She doesn’t know how to deal with her decisions and hates herself for her decisions.

2. Rate this video (1-5) and explain why:

I rate this video a four. In this film each of the scenarios are real and explain how each woman feels before, during, and after their abortions.

3. What did you learn from this documentary?

This documentary was very blunt and shows real life problems that some face. In this film each woman regrets their decision about abortion. This film showed how each woman felt before deciding to have an abortion, during the abortion, and after the abortion. This film has taught me, life if full of hard decisions that must be made. If we do not think about how we will feel after these decisions, it may hurt us. The decisions made in this film were hard and regretful decisions made by these women.