FAQs

“D&C” means “dilation and curettage,” which is a medical procedure used for some abortions. It is also the procedure used to treat some miscarriages. In states with abortion bans, some doctors hesitate to perform this safe and common procedure because they fear paying fines, losing their licenses, and going to prison.

I use the term to signify that most people who can get pregnant use the word “woman” to identify themselves, but some trans or nonbinary people, for example, may not.

The “+” also signifies the loved ones who suffer when someone is denied an abortion. The corollary is that, in the words of Sarah Schulman, “Abortion is a collective experience.” “[A]long with the one in four American women who have had abortions, the people in their lives and extended communities have also benefited. Abortion is actually a collective experience of autonomy that is good for both individuals and for society. . . . `We had an abortion’ is the appropriate response accompanying an image of the multigenerational, multigender group surrounding an abortion” (The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity 60-61).

In most cases, the reason is that the events took place in Texas after Senate Bill 8 (a.k.a. SB 8 or the “Texas Heartbeat Bill”) took effect on Sept. 1, 2021. The law effectively negated the right to abortion in Texas nine months before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Here is an overview of the history of abortion legislation in the U.S.

Donate to an abortion fund to help women+ get access to abortion care. Find a fund through the National Network of Abortion Funds.

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For abortion news, sign up for independent journalist Jessica Valenti’s Substack newsletter Abortion, Every Day or follow Jessica on social media.

Read more stories about the impact of abortion bans on ordinary people at Abortion in America.

Browse books and podcasts about abortion, textiles, and craftivism.

No. In some cases, I use images from Creative Commons to design book pages, but all textile and stitch design are mine.

Yes! If you are interested in hosting a presentation or exhibit of the project, please contact me at underdobbs@proton.me. Because the project consists of individual, small books, it can be scaled up or down depending on your wishes and space. The project is well-suited for bookstores, historical societies, colleges, galleries, and more. Consider hosting the project in conjunction with fundraising for political campaigns, reproductive rights organizations, or abortion funds that help people travel for care. Here are some images of and responses to a gallery exhibit.

Yes! Using the pIatform Mixbook, I have self-published a book that includes twelve stories with their images, plus six additional images of the books. See the cover below. Here is a preview. The pages are 8 1/2” x 11” with 18-point font for the stories and 16-point for other text. You may order directly from Mixbook. Or, if you live near me, you may buy books directly from me for $20 apiece. In either case, I do not profit from book sales.