Tens of thousands of women have taken to Twitter to share their experience of abortion in response to the US House of Representatives vote to remove federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
The hashtag #shoutyourabortion, started on Twitter on Friday and is now trending across US, Australia and Europe.
Campaigners Lindy West, Amelia Bonow and Kimberly Morrison started the hashtag which has been used by more than 60,000 women to explain their decision to get an abortion.
#ShoutYourAbortion In 1988 a late-term abortion got a teenage me back on track for college, career, & motherhood. pic.twitter.com/xdoTFoDJ7D
— Ruby Sinreich (@Ruby) September 21, 2015
My wife and I had an abortion when she was in college. 15 years later we're still together w/ 2 beautiful sons #NoRegret #ShoutYourAbortion — J.K. Callaway (@jkCallawayYAY) September 21, 2015Some pro-choice social media users have challenged the use of the hashtag:
I am pro choice. However abortion is a difficult decision & not something to 'shout' about. #ShoutYourAbortion
— Debbie (@MeIAmDebbie) September 22, 2015
Some have suggested that womanhood should not be celebrated via the hashtag:
Ladies, there are so many wonderful ways to celebrate being a strong independent & intelligent woman, #ShoutYourAbortion is not one of them. — PS (@ParvaSaeua) September 22, 2015There is also vocal opposition from those who are anti-abortion, some social media users likening abortion to murder.
I am pretty disgusted that #ShoutYourAbortion is trending with people celebrating their abortions really killing babies
— David Jones (@DavidJo52951945) September 22, 2015
Bonow, one of the creators of the hashtag, told Buzzfeed that shared her experience of receiving an abortion on Facebook "on a whim" but also in order to "vocally align myself with Planned Parenthood".