Faculty member Greer Donley, JD co-wrote a piece for Slate.com about the negative ramifications of the pregnancy tissue photos that have been circling the web. This includes concerns around:
- Suggesting that the acceptability of abortion is based on the appearance of the fetus or embryo undermines and stigmatizes abortion rights after the first trimester
- Reducing early pregnancy to the “clump of cells” narrative alienates those who have suffered from infertility or pregnancy loss
These images are incredibly helpful tools for education, but they do not define the meaning or value of pregnancy—only a pregnant person (and not the state) can do that.