4.25 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

My Body My Choice is a book that needs to be placed in junior high and high schools all over the world, it’s that important especially in todays climate. It does talk a lot about abortion history and issues in North America but also includes information from a few different countries. It also has stories from abortion activists and women involved in woman’s rights movements. In the back/end of the book there is a glossary of terms relating to the content in the book which is important for younger children to help them comprehend the issues discussed.

Ok, so I am late on reviewing this title but by no means does that make it bad. This book was a wonderful refreshing read I enjoyed the research and writing style of this book and believe that there needs to be things like this everywhere. Now this book did not push one side of the debate or the other. What this book does is highlight a different viewpoint and gives you facts and information regarding both sides. It does not matter what your view is this book is informational at its core and should be shelves and read.

Excellent look at the fight for reproductive rights. The format was very appealing though it might work better in book format than ebook.

This book was well researched and wasn't aggressive or in your face about what it was trying to relay. It was inspirational and encouraging to read.

What a fascinating history for the practice of and regulations surrounding abortions in North America.
I encourage everyone to read this whether it is for educational purposes or just to know you are not alone in your decision (whatever it may be).
This could be read in a day, so go read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for DRC.

With reproductive care, abortion rights and female/uterus-having folks rights to our own body autonomy on the line in the US as of late, this title was a timely, appropriate and much-needed read. It goes in depth on what we mean when we say "my body my choice." The argument is not so black and white as anti-choice groups make it out to be. This is a read everybody needs right now, no matter which side of the aisle they're on.

I am amazed by this book. It is SUCH a goldmine of information, and it's very easy to understand. The facts are based on so many statistics - it's obvious there is a LOT of research involved in the creation of this book. & there's even a glossary at the end! 😱 This book is so transinclusive, and the author recognizes the difference between the rights of white people and POC. So, to limit my word count, I'll just list important facts included in this book. They serve as great reminders!

REMINDERS :
• Always keep in mind that these people who get abortions have one thing in common : they're pregnant and they don't want to be. That's ALL that matters
• Half of unplanned pregnancies occurre while the person is using contraceptives
• Low income people often choose to terminate their pregnancies because of the lack of financial support/ressources. Or just because they don't want a baby too 🤷‍♀️
• Criminalizing abortions will never reduce the abortion rates. All it reduces are safe abortions
• Pro-lifers are so intent on saving lives, while the should invest their energy into ensuring these babies and their parents have a better quality of life
• Teaching abstinence in schools only leads to more unsafe sex, instead of reducing the number of teens who have sex
• EVERYONE should have access to safe, legal, and accessible abortions, no matter their income, color, cultural background, gender, disabilities, etc.

HISTORICAL FACTS :
• Abortion was criminalized in the 1800s to ensure that white women had more babies than POC = to remain the dominant population
• Abortions were more common in the 1800s than they are now
• Physicians (men) decided that abortions are morally wrong because the women depended on midwives and that's a bad thing because midwives were women back then, which undermined the male physicians' jobs
• White women had to fight for the right to legal sterilization while WOC were forcefully sterilized
• It's not because abortions are legal, safe, and accessible in Quebec that it's the same in the (maritime) provinces (and I had no idea!)

In light of recent events this year, I'd say that <i>My Body, My Choice</i> by Robin Stevenson could not have come fast enough. There's so much involved in abortion politics and far more often than not a vast number of individuals show an incredible amount of ignorance on this subject. Even worse, those making the decision to put policies into place are not people who ever would even have to consider having an abortion because men are incapable of carrying a fetus. And the fact of the matter is that the policymakers have more interest in policing women's bodies than they do in ensuring that supposed children are not killed. For you see, a fetus is merely a collection of cells that has the potential to be a child and these lawmakers could care less about whether or not that child survives once it's been born, as shown quite clearly in the fact that many do not care to support common-sense gun laws and are regularly against welfare programs that take care of and provide food for the children they are forcing to be born.

Now, with that said, <i>My Body, My Choice </i>is an in-depth, expertly detailed account of the history of abortion and women fighting for it as well as a resource for those who wish to truly understand the subject. This book is well researched, filled with numerous accounts not only from the people who have fought for it as a right but also from the people who continue to fight for it. Not only does Stevenson do an excellent job of research for her book she also manages to present the information in a very matter-of-fact manner, leaving readers with a genuine account of the situation at hand and provides a large amount of information for everyone to learn from. <i>My Body, My Choice</i> is superbly written and addresses various underlying issues that surround abortion, fro birth control and women's health services to forced sterilization that has disproportionately affected women of color over the years. The politics surrounding one's personal bodily autonomy significantly affect all women, but in so many ways these issues provide an immense negative impact on women who belong to a minority group.

But the fact of the matter is that these issues need to be discussed, the attack on women's health and women's rights needs to be discussed. And they need to be discussed regularly. Some men in power--and largely these are white men in power--would be thrilled if they could silence women. They would love to be able to turn back the clock to a time in which the only ones they had to compete with were themselves. They exert control over women as much as they are able and in a large way, that includes denying them education and providing them with as much misinformation as they can. This is done through schools that are not permitted to provide accurate health-ed classes, instead pushing an abstinence agenda that causes more unwanted pregnancies and, as a result, abortions than it prevents. This is done through people who stand outside abortion clinics or create fake abortion clinics in order to manipulate and lie to young women seeking abortions in a misguided attempt to prevent them from going through with it. But the amazing thing is that books like this provide us all with vast amounts of information that we can use to fight back, to bring these issues out into the light in a way that not only attacks the outright lies but can empower others to take a stand. I know that just reading about all the amazing people who fought for abortion rights in the past definitely makes me want to fight to ensure that all of their hard work is not reversed by ignorant men who wish largely to control women.

And this book is a treasure trove of information, not only in its detailed history but in the way it presents facts about the ongoing struggle now. Not only that but <i>My Body, My Choice </i>also discusses and provides resources to those who find they may need them in the future. It shows that even though there are people out there who will work hard and tirelessly to deny us our rights, there are those who are going to fight as hard as possible to keep them. We have something to lose and so we will fight even harder. And thankfully books like these exist to educate and help women and men alike. One of the best things about this book is the fact that it even provides access to resources that are incredibly useful by opening one's eyes to a large number of organizations that many of us were likely unaware of.

Most of all, I'm just glad that this book exists.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This is an important book in today's times. It covers the history of abortion, methods of abortion, both sides of the argument concerning abortion, how people are working to secure access to safe abortions around the world, the current opposition to abortion, and testimony from those who have had abortions. Everyone should read this book in order to really educate themselves about the issue instead of just listening to political opinions from men who don't know how the female reproductive system really works.

A comprehensive, educational book that really teaches readers. I think that people only both sides of the debate on abortion could benefit from picking this book up, as it aims to inform instead of to persuade. I gained an immense amount of knowledge. The topic was always handled very respectfully, and the author clearly did an abundance of research on the topic. The writing was nice and easily transitional. I purchased a published copy for my own shelves.

**I received an ARC off Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!**
I definitely enjoyed this book. The ideas were well organized and the information was gathered well. There were some parts I didn’t thing were necessary and there were a couple things that were repeated.
Other than that, nothing to complain about. I definitely everyone should read this book in order to inform themselves about what abortion really is.

This book is amazing and needs to have a far reach. It presents a full picture of past and present, abortion history and current reproductive justice battles, the main focus of which is on the USA and Canada but includes information from every other continent (I mean, except Antarctica). It is evidence-based and clearly written and a marvelous resource. It's trans-inclusive and has a specific focus on the damage anti-abortion laws cause to marginalized populations. If I could I would buy a million copies of this book and hand them out to everyone.

An excellent primer on the history of abortion rights both in the US and Canada. I had only a limited knowledge of the details of that battle in the US before reading this book and no knowledge of Canada's struggle. I am in awe of and so grateful for all of the people who fought and continue to fight for this important human right.

What makes this book especially valuable to a YA audience is the young activists that are featured and profiled in it. If they were inspiring to me, I can only imagine how encouraging they'd be to someone their own age.

And speaking of encouraging, that was the most important thing this book leaves you with: hope. Yes, things are looking dire now, but after reading My Body My Choice I know there are always going to be people out there who will champion reproductive rights. Hopefully this book will encourage more young people to join the fight!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a great resource for readers from teens through seniors. The information was very comprehensive and provided in a manner that was easy to follow. It is short enough that this can be read in a single sitting or read in chapters. Regardless of how familiar you are with abortion laws, history, and movements, this would be a great refresher. Sections highlighting youth activists around the world are particularly motivating and a great example for younger readers that they are capable of enacting change.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for providing me with an ARC.

Every woman should read this. It provides what's severely lacking in the majority of discussions surrounding abortion and women's reproductive rights: context. There's no inflammatory language, no imposition of religious ideals, just information. Plenty of personal stories, yes, but that's to put into perspective the people who are at risk when we limit access to basic health care. This isn't the moral conundrum that we've been fed for years. It's a way to control women through their bodies.

Robin Stevenson has constructed a comprehensive breakdown of historical precedent, recent women's movements, medical information and a schematic to move forward for women & girls across the globe. It's easy to digest and understand, without the author talking down to her audience.

Some of the most enlightening for me was how closely racism and classism were associated with reproductive justice for women living in the US. The disparity between how contraception, abortion and sterilization has been available or limited to affluent white communities verses marginalized ones is enraging.

There's something productive we can do with that rage, though. It's speak up loudly, publicly and often in defense of basic human rights. As quoted in the book, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - MLK

Good read. It made you think more about the issue that is happening right now in so many states. I would recommend to anyone looking to dive deeper into the topic.

Ehh... I don't know how I feel about this one. It is kind of more an opinion piece than anything, because you have to read through their opinion to figure out how you feel about this.

This book could not have been more timely. I am lucky to live in a state where many people around me realize that women should always have the right to choose when making a decision about their own bodies. Unfortunately, it is a very scary time in our country in many places and the right to women's choice is being put into question. Whether you believe in abortion or not, making a decision for someone else is never okay and making abortion illegal will not stop abortions, it will just make it more dangerous.

My Body My Choice takes a look at the history of abortion, the fight for the right to choose, what happened after Roe vs. Wade and a look at the world view of abortion and safety for women. The book then moves into Trump's policies that are and will continue to have a devastating impact on women's health and safety, not just in the United States but around the world.

The book wraps up with how to move forward to continue to protect women's right to choose and keeping abortion safe and accessible for all. There is still a lot of misinformation and stigma about abortion this book does a wonderful job of talking about these issues in a proactive and informative matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very nuanced, nice look at abortion and abortion rights in simple terms. I love that this book did not get too technical or dry and just simply stated fact.

My Review: I do as much non fiction as I do classics. But when this one popped up I had to read it. In this day and age so many states have passed laws about what I am allowed to do with my own body if I would find myself pregnant. It is disheartening to learn that if I lived in another state and I was raped that I may not be able to get an abortion because it was against the law. That I would be forced to have my attackers child. I have been a firm believer in the aspect that abortion should not be a get out of free jail card. That if you have sex that you should deal with the consequences of your actions. But that doesn't mean that I should have my choices taken away.

This book is one that should be in the hands to ever teen girl out there. This book covers this topic very well and doesn't come off as preachy or choosing sides. It gives the reader wonderful information about the topic of abortion and how it should be our right to do what we please with our bodies. It felt well researched and you could tell the care the author took in writing it. Abortion is a very hard topic to talk about but this author did a wonderful job.

It is full of stories from other people in all nationalities and POVs. Which made this title well rounded. It would be an eye opener for any women out there that think that this topic doesn't affect them. Because, even myself who will not be having anymore children. This is where it starts. It starts going after our right to do what we want with our bodies then what's next? Next it will be birth control, then hysterectomies, then what will everyone women out there be forced to get pregnant and then have children? Its a very find line between freedom and what happened on that show and movie The Handmaid's Tale. It started out small there too.