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ANSIRH's Abortion Onscreen project examines portrayals of abortion on television over the last 10 years

Television storylines are, by design, more dramatic, bizarre, and fantastical than real life—and abortion storylines are no exception. Yet, when it comes to examining who gets (or thinks about getting) an abortion on TV, and how they compare to real women seeking abortion care, these fictional characters can impact how real world abortion patients are understood by the viewing public. These portrayals can skew political perceptions of women seeking abortion care, and contribute to ongoing abortion stigma.

We published an article analyzing how characters seeking and obtaining abortion are portrayed on television over the last 10 years.

We’ve also created an infographic illustrating these results, and comparing television characters and real women who seek abortion care. Finally, we put together a summary of television portrayals of abortion in 2015.