I was 14 when I had an abortion and I didn’t want people to find out I was pregnant. When I told my mom, she opened up the conversation about abortion. I didn’t want to have an abortion because of the shame, stigma, judgment and guilt but I knew it was what I had to do because there was no way I could bring a child into the world at that stage.” - Shanice Tomlinson.

“It’s one thing to have your own opinion and belief on something, whether that’s pro-life or pro-choice but to then put that on other people, I don’t think that’s right because it’s my body, why should you dictate to me what I can and cannot do with my body.“

“Even though my mom was there for me and supported me, I still felt shame and guilt. After the abortion was done we never spoke about it again and it was very lonely processing all the emotions afterwards.”

In the latest episode of Conversations with Sophia, Shanice Tomlinson, co-founder of Orbit talks about abortion and her experience getting an abortion at the age of 14. She discusses why it is vital for women and young girls to have a say about their bodies, taboo, the stigma and shame connected with abortion, the importance of creating a safe space to talk about abortion and sex education, the power of owning your story and women’s right to choose.