MTV's "No Easy Decision" Focuses on Abortion

Would my life be different today if I'd had her, my child? I may ask myself this, but only for a moment. My life is a struggle, overcoming violence towards women on many fronts; familial, incest, relentless racial discrimination, discrimination against a disabled person, sexual discrimination against a woman who is single without a child, and then the economic discrimination and violence; where those who feel entitled have preyed upon my talents violently. I chose to be responsible for not being a violent parent, to young, a world to crazy for me to parent responsibly. And yes it breaks my heart, I am alone today. But I know she is near me, loving me from her spirit place.

I would like to say that I hope MTV does do this topic justice. I am an educated and intelligent woman who has had multiple abortions. Now I am over 50, single and childless. However, my life is full because there are so many children and adults that need love. My life is open to loving all people, not just those who share my DNA. I do not regret my abortions and I hope that the right to choose remains for every single American woman forever. I also hope that birth control methods improve to the point where all women and men who chose to have sex also chose to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy successfully. I believe this is a HUGE issue for all women. The times that I became pregnant I did use birth control and it failed. The methods of birth control available to me that would have prevented the pregnancies had too many side effects. Please, if you are someone who judges women for choosing abortion, stop and think for one moment about how it is MY BODY and MY CHOICE. Do not try and make me feel guilty when there are SO MANY ABUSED AND HUNGRY CHILDREN in this world. Why not focus on helping them? Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Why is MTV choosing to air this important topic so late in the evening? This should be aired after school and in prime time when the young people who need this important info are more likely to see it.

I am so glad that MTV has decided to stand up and deliver on behalf of ALL women in this country and their RIGHT to freedom of choice!! Why do we have so many children in the system if these people CARE so much? They won't share their all mighty dollars taking care of the children that have been born and have unfortunatley been thrown into the system either being in the lower income level or higher income level..doesn't matter!! There are so many children out there now that haven't the chance/opportunity and need the love these people profess to have for these children. Well...SHOW ME!!
A woman has the RIGHT to CHOOSE if she can give a child what a child needs/deserves!!

"No Easy Decision" is a fitting title for both their choice of abortion, as well as their choice to share their stories. Choosing to share on such a grand scale is a very brave and very selfless thing to do. I wish them all well.

It's ABOUT TIME ! As a Pro-Choice Conservative Christian and Republican, I was glad to hear that the bravery of these women speaking publicly about their decisions was going to be aired. I'm 49 and spent 20 yrs in the Navy during which I had a couple of abortions during my younger days. I hated seeing women choose to have and keep unwanted children only to neglect or abuse them. I have never regretted my decisions to abort nor lost one minute of sleep thinking about it. I am the mother of a beautiful 18 year old daughter who also is Pro-Choice and makes me proud!! I dont think abortion is a political issue but a personal one that should never be taken away.

If this program is balanced, towards pro-choice policies, then I'm all for it and it is truly about time. Pro-choice rarely ever gets its due share of TV air time, when so many women have experienced this choice.

No more misinformation. No more misogyny masked as pro-life. Like LGBTQ youth who see no hope in their situation without supporters, so too do young women (and young men involved) need to see that there are many many people who've experienced and lived through this, and who support and stand by them unconditionally!

This is not a death/ostracize sentence as pro-lifers would have people believe. This is a normal part of living and it needs to be considered just that!

The year was 1964 and abortion was illegal. My mother died at the hands of someone not qualified who attempted to give her an abortion. She left 3 small children and 4 older ones including me who at
age 21 was given the responsibility to raise them while at the same time grieving the loss of my mother. This should not have happened and we must protect the rights of women to choose.

For another way to support the brave young women telling their abortion stories on MTV, leave them a message of love at "16 and Loved" http://16andloved.com/

I have a four year old child now but had an abortion while married at 19, to a man who turned out to be a drug addict. It wasn't until later (after divorce) I realized I made harmful decisions as emotional aftermath of sexual abuse from my father and siblings. I am so glad I had that abortion. I adore my child now and I know I'd not have grown so deeply had I kept that child. I too was on both control that failed. Go picket the white house for passing the largest war budget in he history of mankind (last week-just over 7billion), instead of feeding and educating our country!!! Go feed, clothe, house, council, & educate the millions of children alive in America who are starving and abused. Take the moat out of your eye first and remember what happens to those who throw stones!

Are you sure this is the correct time/date? I tried to set my DVR to record it and couldn't find it listed...
I don't regret my decision and am so grateful I had options.

About time MTV! After several episodes of 16 and pregnant it is about time you showed another side of teenage pregnancy - the other reality for some women - who made this choice - because this was what was right for them. This should show before or after an episode of 16 and pregnant.

Wasn't "freedom" the main word in the republican and tea party's rallying? Wasn't 'government interference' a battlecry from thee two parties, and the conservatives? Doesn't it strike a hypocritical chord when it comes to SEX, a venue that organized religions try to control? A grateful thank you to MTV for taking on this issue. But at 11:30 p.m.? Well, at least it's a start. When are their faithful compadres going to learn that no man-made law can be passed that will control human behavior. Time after time the govt., the churches, all fall on their faces. A better world through education.

As a pro-choice mother I look forward to watching this with my 15 year-old daughter, and applaud MTV for airing this special. However, I too could not find it in today's listings--perhaps the date us wrong. It would be a shame to miss viewing this due to a scheduling miscommunication.

My daughter had two abortions when she was estranged from our family. She says that if she had known about pregnancy resource then, she never would have had the abortions. The abortion clinic did not tell her about her options and her boyfriend at the time coerced her. Now she is so very sad when she looks at her children, knowing she could have given life to a childless couple. She regrets her abortions every day but knows that God forgives her.

For those who couldn't find the listing, it is on this schedule...
http://www.mtv.com/ontv/schedule/

i don't know why but i can't get this on my cable company...all i see is 16 and pregnant...is it just me or are others having a difficult time too?? is this our cable companies choosing for us?

It's not on my listing either, for TiVo. Must have just been added - or they've yanked it already. I'll try to watch and see.

For those having difficulty finding the listing, the full title is "16 and Pregnant: No Easy Decision". So it may just appear as "16 and Pregnant" in your TV guide. My Tivo brought it right up. It will more than likely be repeated; MTV reruns those shows all the time. I am so glad that this topic is finally being addressed!

Well, that's nice for you, but no, my TiVo listing does not have it. It has two episodes of 16 and Pregnant and they are listed as "Reunion Specials." I am taping the channel at that time in the hopes that the show is running instead of what is listed.

Women have the right choose. If she wants to have an abortion she has the right to do so. The same go for birthcontrol.

This is an issue I have always felt strongly about. We had two children, but that was because my wife wanted them, and CHOSE to have them, But I was filled with teror the entire time. My wife has been disabled with grossly painful, and deforming Rheumatoid Arthritis, and an Esophageal stricture that often prevented her from getting enough nourishment. I stood by, watching with horror, praying constantly, and struggling with my tears as she endured hours and hours of stressful, exquisitely painful labor. I watched the readings on the heart monitor and other other devices in the room, skyrocketing with each new contraction. I would have eagarly taken her place! All I could think was, "What if she isn't strong enough to get through this?" "What if she doesn't make it?" Over and over I cursed myself for not having the good sense to have a Vasectomy, and just let her believe that it was her poor health that prevented her from conceiving. I also KNEW that, if she didn't make it, I would NOT want the child. I would always see it as the reason for my wife's death. When I hear male voices, shouting fanatic, pro-life rhetoric, I have to fight the urge to lash out at them. It is a well kown FACT that every day, THOUSANDS of women and girls DIE during pregnancy and childdbirth. The information is freely available, if you choose to look for it, but I find it absolutely unnacceptable that we NEVER hear stories about women and girls who have died during pregnancy, or during the long hours of labor! We NEVER read stories about these tragedies in the newspaper or news magazines. There are NO DOCUMENTARIES about it on TV, or LECTURES about it on public venues or college classrooms. But it HAPPENS. TOO OFTEN! Where are the pro-lifers then? What are they doing to make the world aware of these deaths? BECAUSE THEY NEED TO KEEP IT A SECRET, that's why! This insanity is all caused by the fact that in the US and throughout the world, births of WHITE, CHRISTIAN babies are dramatically dropping. African Americans and Bi-Racials, Latinos, and Asians continue to climb. White Christians are becoming the MINORITY! WHO IS GOING TO FIGHT THEIR WARS, RUN THE GOVERNMENT, OR CONTROL WALL STREET? We've ALL seen the insanity that's become rampant since a BLACK MAN dared to run for President of the US!
Pregnancy and childbirth is a HIGHLY PERSONAL matter. WOMEN ALONE put their lives on the line to bear children. When I hear MALE VOICES shouting anti-choice insanity, I want to lash out. I, like my father before me, have always believed that this issue is something that CONCERNS WOMEN ONLY! For the male, there is the pleasure of sex. An egg gets furtilized, and he passes on 32 of his genes. THAT'S ALL! This is when HIS participation ends. When I hear idiotic remarks like; "WE are prenant!" I'd like to hit someone. Face it, gentlemen, WE (the males) are NOT pregnant. SHE is pregnant. SHE is putting her life on the line! YOU (the male) COULD NOT ENDURE IT! The TRUTH of the matter is, that men ENJOY, in fact, are DRIVEN to reproduce. They strongly want to see walking, talking, highly visible trophies to their masculinity. Do you see that? Check it out! I MADE THAT! I'M A REAL MAN! It's nothing more than primitive posturing. It DOESN'T take a real man to make babies. MY DOG makes babies! Cockroaches make babies! It's having the wisdom to NOT force a woman to have a child she DOES NOT WANT. He would not want a child to be born and end up being abused by a parent that NEVER should have had the baby in the first place. A REAL MAN would do ANYTHING to prevent a woman he cares about from being forced to continue a pregnancy caused by a violent act of rape, or by a disgusting episode of incest. A REAL MAN would do all he could to DISCOURAGE teen girls from throwing away their youth and freedom to bring other children into the world. A REAL MAN would spend his time and energy working to eliminate world over-population, poverty, and starvation! We should NOT be mnaking more babies, while far too many are starving to death in third world, very poor countries. He would be working to feed, cloth, care for, and educate ALL OF THE UNWANTED AND ABANDONED CHILDREN right here in the us! A REAL MAN WOULD NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT DICTATING WHAT ANOTHER PERSON MAY AND MAY NOT DO WITH THEIR OWN BODY! Gentlmen, wake up, and shut up! This is something that MUST BE left to women alone.

I also couldn't find this in my DVR under "No Easy Decision." As someone else mentioned earlier, I think this is listed under the "16 and Pregnant" series. The description for the 11:30 pm EST episode says "No Easy Decision: after becoming pregnant . . . Makai considers an abortion." So, hopefully this is the episode NARAL is referring to! NARAL send out a clarification email if not too late!

I don't have television, but I hope the program shows human rights in a positive light. I always have - and always will - support abortion rights, no matter the situation.

Life > Existence

I commend these women for their courage in telling their story; this was obviously a very complex and emotional decision for each of them, and they did the best they could to make that decision in a sincerely thoughtful way given the information they had. I wish them all the very best, and they deserve only good things. However, I am deeply saddened that women still feel like abortion is something they have to submit themselves to as a "last resort." They deserve better. There is either nothing wrong with abortion, if it is *not* the killing of an innocent human being (in which case choosing it shouldn't be a last resort any more or less than parenting or adoption would be) or it *is* the killing of an innocent human being (in which case we cannot resort to it any more than we would resort to killing any other innocent person, much less our own son or daughter). In this way, I think the pro-choice position, fundamentally, is logically inconsistent. Again, I admire these women for their courage and for doing what they thought was best for themselves and their boyfriend or 11-month-old (in the case of Markai). What I think *wasn't* talked about nearly enough, by Dr. Drew or by any of the mothers, is what would be best for the pre-born child. Every child deserves a shot at life-- whether the circumstances are really close to or totally far from "perfect." I mourn the loss of these children, but wish their mothers every happiness.

I just watched the show and thought it was very well done. I honor the women and know that it took a lot of courage for them to make the choice and to share their journey. I am a Great Grandmother of 1.Grandmother of 4. Mother of 2.No one should judge anyone and I believe we should be able to have a choice of what we do with our body's.We should not go back to when women used hangers,or had to go underground and died to have abortions.Peace & Many Blessings to these women and others who have to make this kind of decision. Namaste J

There is healing after an abortion. www.rachelsvineyard.org

I watched the show last night & saw sadness in 2 of the women. Markai could have made the BEST decision: choose life for her unborn & give it up for adoption. No body talked about what is best for the baby. Would any of us want to be teared apart by an abortionist? I don't think so. Women deserve better than abortion. The unborn deserve better than abortion. I feel Markai will suffer from post abortion syndrome as so many women do. Abortion is not the answer. Choosing life would have been better.

The show did a fine job of demonstrating that pro-choice is pro-life. Having a choice saved the lives of not only three young women, but also their current and future families.
@Ana: there is no such thing as post-abortion syndrome. I am a professional in mental health, and absolutely no research supports this myth that you have fallen for. If such a thing exists, show me the data, and it had better include published and replicated scientific research on men as well as women.

Jan,
postabortionsyndrome.org

i belive if you are raped you should have that choise to get rid of the pregnacy but uther than that no i think there should be some responsabilty taken between the woman and the man weather they want to raise it or not give it to those that wished for along time to have that one blessing that they are unabled to have where there for the ones that are able should be greatful that they can and those that are scared keep your pant's up intill you are ready for that kind of comitment or answer to it when god takes that chance you once had away from you when you want it the most

If the anti-choice crowd really wants to go after someone, they should set their sites not on the poor, the young, and the molested, but on the generators of the 500,000 fertilized embryos currently on ice that have been created but will never be implanted (ie, unborn babies that will be destroyed after being frozen from some amount of time). If the anti-choice crowd truly believe that life begins at conception, let them go fight the infertility and in-vitro clinic clients and doctors. See how far they get with that, the disgraceful hypocrites.

If the anti-choice crowd really wants to go after someone, they should set their sites not on the poor, the young, and the molested, but on the generators of the 500,000 fertilized embryos currently on ice that have been created but will never be implanted (ie, unborn babies that will be destroyed after being frozen from some amount of time). If the anti-choice crowd truly believe that life begins at conception, let them go fight the infertility and in-vitro clinic clients and doctors. See how far they get with that, the disgraceful hypocrites.