You’re The Only One I’ve Told by Dr. Meera Shah

Book Review

If you only read one more book this year, make it this one!

My thoughts summed up into a few words: moving, informative, educational and infuriating.

Written by family medicine physician, Dr. Meera Shah, this collection of short stories represents a wide spectrum of experiences - from those who became pregnant far too young or couldn’t afford the cost of raising a child to those who became pregnant as the result of a sexual assault or had a pregnancy that was deemed “unviable.” It also includes extensive representation, which helps to illustrate that “people who have abortions represent every demographic, socioeconomic status, faith, cultural background and race.

A few data points I found fascinating:
—1 in 4 women in America has had an abortion
—3/4 of those who receive abortions live in poverty
—Abortion has a safety rating of 99%
—34 states have an “opt-out” policy when it comes to teaching sex education in schools… yet those who receive sex education in school are 60% less likely to become pregnant or impregnate someone.
—1 in 6 hospital beds in the US is located in a Catholic hospital… such hospitals can (and often) withhold information about contraception, abortion and sterilization, as Catholic values trump the patient’s best interest.
—Abortion is the only medical procedure that requires health care providers to recite a government-mandated script prior to providing care… often included in this script is the FALSE assertion that abortion can cause infertility or “potential danger to a subsequent pregnancy”… there is no scientific evidence that supports this claim.

This book should be required reading for all policymakers, as it humanizes the issue of abortion and dispels many common misconceptions and exposes government-sponsored propaganda.

The thing that has always bothered me the most about the debate over abortion is the fact that policymakers have long used their religious beliefs as the benchmark for morality. The majority of our lawmakers are Christian (not to mention male and white), so naturally, that religious ideology has informed many of the laws, policies and discourse regarding abortion (and women’s health in general). However, the Bill of Rights clearly states that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” because… separation of church and state. So how is it acceptable that Christian values are largely informing our national policies on women’s health? Of course, I have nothing against Christian values, it’s simply a matter of separation of church and state (as well as individual liberty).

It’s easy to condemn something that you yourself have never had to experience; however, when you read the first-hand accounts of those who’ve lived a particular experience, it’s difficult not to feel compassion. As the author notes, no one WANTS to have an abortion, but at the end of the day, ABORTION IS HEALTH CARE.

Whatever your views on this issue, I cannot recommend this book enough!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

TW: Abortion, domestic violence, sexual assault, grief, medical trauma