In the background, a story of domestic violence and seeking help

If you are also concerned about the question "How to hide an abortion from my husband?" then we have to talk about what is happening in Poland.

Imagine that Anna writes to youa woman with an unwanted pregnancy who is a victim of intimate partner violence. She tells you that she is afraid of her partner, that she fears for her life, that she is frightened for the future of her small child, and shares how her life is under constant surveillance and control.

You understand her instantly, because you were once in exactly the same situation – living with threats from a violent partner, experiencing physical and mental abuse. You were controlled and unable to choose who you talked to or who you met with. Your partner knew your passwords and constantly checked your phone and read your messages. And when you got pregnant, you knew you did not want to have another child with this man.

What would you do if Anna wrote to you and you happened to have a set of abortion pills in your house? Would you help like Justyna did? (#IamJustyna)??

Domestic violence is not fiction

These people actually exist. Justyna is 47 years old. She lives in a small town and is the mother of three children. For more than 10 years she has been free of an abusive partner. It is because of the abortion of her fourth pregnancy that she found the strength and the motivation to leave her toxic husband and take care of herself and her children. She vowed that in her free time she would help other women.

Ania, who wrote to her, was still in this hellish situation. She was terrified; she was almost 12 weeks pregnant. She had tried to travel to a clinic abroad, but was blocked by her abusive husband. It was the very beginning of the pandemic, mail service was unreliable, and nobody knew yet how long it would take for a package with abortion pills from Women Help Women to arrive in these unstable circumstances. Ania looked online for help and found Abortion Without Borders, a group that helps arrange abortions for people from Poland. She contacted them, desperate to end the pregnancy.

She came across Justyna who shared her own set of abortion pills.

When an incident happens ...

Imagine you come back home. The pills are in your purse. They are your lifeline; they will give you back control over your body. You open the door, but inside there is a trap, set by your own husband: he called the police, who confiscate the pills.

Justyna sits at home wondering why her phone is so silent. Did Anna manage to take the pills? Is somebody trying to overpower her and take them away by force? Will Anna take the pills or will she miscarry because of all that stress and violence?

Dream Team abortion before the court

This story is not fiction. On April 8 Justyna will face the Polish court, accused of aiding in abortion. She is facing 3 years in prison.

Justyna’s colleague from the Abortion Dream Team says:

“People like Justyna are the only chance to get a safe abortion in Poland. They should be protected, not prosecuted. Is the intention of the prosecution to make people afraid of being pregnant, or afraid of supporting each other?”

Anna had to be supported.

How many abortions has Abortion Without Borders done?

Just like at least 94 people a day in need of an abortion in Poland who are helped by Abortion Without Borders.

Since the sentence of the pseudo-tribunal 34,000 people received support in safe abortion, and 1544 people left for the procedure in the second trimester. Abortion Without Borders allocated PLN 1.5 million for this.

Our position has not changed:

We will not stop helping! We will continue to do what is just and necessary. Every single person who needs an abortion should have access to it, without financial barriers, without shame, without apology.