The Secret Club

The "secret club" consists of the 1.5 million women who have abortions each year. While abortion is the most common surgical procedure in America, it is also, of course, the emotional and moral issue of the day. This video takes a value-neutral look at six women who discuss their decisions to abort and how they dealt with their grief, guilt and anger after the procedure. One describes her post-surgical state as feeling she'd been amputated; another discusses the hard, emotional rollercoaster. One woman, who made her decision years ago, states she is regret-free. For the sake of balance, there is a counselor from a crisis pregnancy center (agencies which are often financed by religious interests) which discourages abortion. Both she and the interviewees point out that frequently the medical environment itself (disinterested doctors; cold, sterile, hurry-up clinics) is not conducive to supporting women who choose abortion. If this tape weren't so short or expensive, it might be more welcome in libraries. As it is, it tends to state the obvious, replicating information which can be found in the many books on the topic at a fraction of the price. Recommended only for exhaustive collections on the subject. (R. Reagan)