When Bea had an abortion, it came with a rollercoaster of emotions. Now, she's part of a team helping make sure no-one feels alone.
A new program in Tasmania puts people who have had an abortion in touch with a peer worker who has also been through the abortion process."I kind of went through it in secret, and alone," she said.Accessing timely and affordable counselling services was difficult, and did not feel right for her circumstances.Sessions a 'validating' experience
She said while family and friends could be a safe space for some to talk about abortion, it was not always possible or the right choice for some people."There's something very validating when somebody just gets it."The peer workers are trained by Women's Health Tasmania to ensure they have the language to talk about their own experiences and can set boundaries.In all states and territories in Australia, abortion is a legal health procedure.
"The kinds of words that people use are 'alone', 'worthless', 'coward'. And kind of words they use afterwards are 'valued', 'brave' and 'worthy'.Bea says being a peer worker in the program has also given her an unexpected sense of validation of her own experiences.For peer worker Bea, being involved with the program was a way to help others know that whatever they were feeling, they were not alone.
Abortion Peer Worker Women's Health Tasmania Support Training Counselling Health Care
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