History Main / AbortionFalloutDrama

Other times, the drama is in the fallout. The character who got the abortion may suffer physical side effects or even death or simply be wracked with guilt and question her decision. The abortion can also cause conflict between characters. Often this arises between the parents of the fetus when they disagreed about whether to have the abortion in the first place or secretly blame each other for the situation. This often leads to a break-up. Other times, the conflict is between the character who got the abortion and her family who may[[IHaveNoSon shun or even disown her]].

This trope is most prevalent in the West, [[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/abortion-on-screen-she-s-not-having-a-baby-9647952.html where abortion is a sensitive topic]], as that is where the abortion debate is most prevalent. As such, these plots may be used to deliver AnAesop about the controversy in a VerySpecialEpisode. Anti-abortion stories will have the person getting the abortion be a villain or "bad girl" who suffers an {{Anvilicious}} death or a HeelFaithTurn. Conversely, pro-choice stories will usually not cast judgement on a protagonist’s choice to have an abortion as “immoral” or “irresponsible” ([[ActivistFundamentalistAntics abortion clinic protestors ]] or anti-abortion proponents may or may not feature as common antagonists). As this is a touchy subject, there's room for plenty of nuance in between. Due to the potential for controversy, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''.

Other times, the drama is in the fallout. The character who got the abortion may suffer physical side effects or even death or simply be wracked with guilt and question her decision. The abortion can also cause conflict between characters. Often this arises between the parents of the fetus when they disagreed about whether to have the abortion in the first place or secretly blame each other for the situation. This often leads to a break-up. Other times, the conflict is between the character who got the abortion and her [[TheFundamentalist conservative family or religious community, who may]] [[IHaveNoSon shun or even disown her]].

This trope is most prevalent in the West, [[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/abortion-on-screen-she-s-not-having-a-baby-9647952.html where abortion is a sensitive topic]], as many Christian denominations teach against it. As such, these plots may be used to deliver AnAesop about the controversy in a VerySpecialEpisode. Anti-abortion stories will have the person getting the abortion be a villain or "bad girl" who suffers an {{Anvilicious}} death or a HeelFaithTurn. Conversely, pro-choice stories will usually not cast judgement on a protagonist’s choice to have an abortion as “immoral” or “irresponsible” ([[ActivistFundamentalistAntics abortion clinic protestors ]] or anti-choice proponents may or may not feature as common antagonists). As this is a touchy subject, there's room for plenty of nuance in between. Due to the potential for controversy, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'': In the Wicke & Nephew oneshot. Wicke is specifically noted to be a carrier of a Genetic Disorder, and due to the politics of her nation screening for a male embryo possibly affected is illegal. Because she doesn't want to gamble with a potential child's life, she accepts that she'd only have kids by adoption or stepchildren.

* In the Christian film ''Deadly Choice,'' a doctor's daughter becomes pregnant and is considering an abortion; her father, a Christian, tries to talk her out of it, saying that it is murder. The daughter goes through with it anyway but feels guilty about it.

* ''Film/TheLifeBeforeHerEyes'': She gets the abortion, but the film treats it as a very bad decision with lasting consequences.

* In ''Ayesha At Last'', this is revealed to be the reason why [[spoiler:Zareena is the BlackSheep of Khalid’s family. She was in a SecretRelationship and got pregnant. She was able to get a safe and legal abortion but went to gym class immediately after. She started bleeding and was hospitalized. When her mother learned the truth, she responded by [[IHaveNoSon disowning Zareena]], pulling her out of school, and sending her into an ArrangedMarriage in India. She refused to speak to her, even after her father died. In the present day, Zareena doesn’t regret what she did and is HappilyMarried but refuses to forgive her mother for what happened.]]

* ''Series/FridayNightLights'': In season 4, high school student Becky gets pregnant and she confides in Tim Riggins. Tim takes her to see Mrs. Taylor, a school counselor, who simply lays out the options. Subverted in that once Becky's mother finds out, she drives Becky to the clinic herself (it's implied she had Becky as a teenager herself). The drama occurs when the religious family of the father finds out after the fact. They campaign to get Mrs. Taylor fired, and the setting being a conservative small Texas town, it works.

* In ''Series/SexEducation'' Maeve receives a safe and legal abortion after becoming pregnant from her lover, Jackson. She isn't judged for this and even gets her friend Otis to pick her up afterwards. Awkwardness ensues when Otis mistakenly believes she was asking him on a date and gets dressed up to see her, only to be stuck waiting outside the clinic with some Anti-Choice protesters. It's not brought up again in the series after that.

* [[Music/HouseOfPain Everlast's]] single "What It's Like" dedicates the entire second verse of the song to sympathetically portraying a woman who chooses to get an abortion after the man bails on her, and the Christian protestors who spew their hatred at her as she approaches the clinic just because the scenario exists.

* In ''Machinal'', a side conversation in the speakeasy scene has a man trying to persuade a rather reluctant woman to have an abortion. The subject is discussed in the most guarded and vague terms possible.

* ''Literature/TheBarsoomProject'' has a female character who (in the backstory) had attracted too much male attention at a young age, and ended up getting an abortion. The procedure left her sterile and caused her to gain a large amount of weight as a "shield" against men. Her character arc involves forgiving herself for this.

* ''Fanfic/BeautifulMonster'': As soon as Betty finds out she's pregnant by the unknown assailant who raped her, she decides to get an abortion. Her wife Harriet tries to talk her out of it at first, even going so far as to assure her that the baby won't turn out to be terrible like Betty's parents were. However, Betty is adamant about not wanting to raise a child she'd resent just for existing, and she ultimately goes through with the abortion. Harriet apologizes for her behavior soon after.
* Played with (neutrally) in the ''VideoGame/DotFlow'' {{poe|try}}m fic ''"Lucky"'' (which is based on a theory), where Sabitsuki (a prostitute in this fic) has had abortions in the past. However, it's not that she has them or whether she's a "good girl." It's that procedures are back-alley ones and, on one such occasion, the procedure (like at least one other before) is botched, which almost kills her and leads to a severe infection, ending her time as a prostitute.

* ''Theatre/IfThen'' follows a woman named Elizabeth [[SplitTimelinesPlot in two alternate timelines]] that arise based on a decision she makes early in the play. In [[AlternativeSelfNameChange the Beth timeline]], Beth gets pregnant after a fling with [[spoiler:her best friend Lucas]] and between her newfound focus on her career, Lucas's general immaturity, and the fact that it was just a fling rather than love, she decides to secretly get an abortion. When [[spoiler:Lucas]] (who has always wanted children but never spoke up about it), finds out he's upset that she got the abortion without even telling him, wondering if things could have gone differently for them.

Sometimes, the drama comes from the procedure itself, when it is presented as expensive, dangerous, or hard to get. Often this involves a [[TeenPregnancy pregnant teen]] sneaking around her parents to hide the pregnancy, sneaking [[RunForTheBorder across the border]], or interacting with organized crime or even a LoanShark to get a [[BackAlleyDoctor Back Alley Abortion]].

* In the 1970’s underground comics feminist anthology ''It Ain’t Me Babe'', one of the stories is about a teenage girl who gets an illegal abortion. She scrapes up the money by selling her stereo and borrowing her dad’s credit card to make large purchases and returns. Once she gets there, the procedure is done by a creepy BackAlleyDoctor who practically butchers her and only gives her gin for the pain. She almost dies of complications, but is saved by a proper doctor. She doesn’t regret her choice, but is essentially scared of having sex again after all that.

* Played with (neutrally) in the ''VideoGame/DotFlow'' {{poe|try}}m fic ''"Lucky"'' (which is based on a theory), where Sabitsuki (a prostitute in this fic) has had abortions in the past. However, it's not that she has them or whether she's a "good girl." It's that procedures are back-alley ones and, in one such occasion, the procedure (like at least one other before) is botched, which almost kills her and leads to a severe infection, ending her time as a prostitute.

* In the 1968 German film ''Der Artz von St. Pauli'' (English titles: ''Street of Sin''; ''Sidewalk Doctor''; ''Females for Hire''; ''Bedroom Stewardesses''), Klaus is an upscale gynecologist and illegal abortionist, assisted by his nurse Gerda. A young woman comes to his office for an abortion, and the abortion procedure is dramatized. During the operation Klaus' hand slips, and he is unable to halt the resulting bleeding. [[spoiler:Gauze is inserted to temporarily absorb the blood, then Klaus and Gerda go to the next room. Klaus wants to call an ambulance but Gerda disagrees because of the trouble it would bring. While they argue, the patient awakens in pain, overhears them, stumbles from the operating room via another exit, goes outside and hails a taxi. She is dead on arrival at the hospital. Later in the film Klaus shoots nurse Gerda dead, and when finally cornered Klaus shoots himself.]] (It is unknown if any of the edited English-dubbed versions retained the abortion subplot.)
* In the movie ''Film/DetectiveStory'', Kirk Douglas plays Jim [=McLeod=], a police officer with a jones to bust an abortionist (when, being in the '50s, abortion is a criminal offense). The doctor assumes [=McLeod=] is out to get him because the doc once performed an abortion of Mrs. [=McLeod=]. Not so! [=McLeod=] didn't know about that at all. When [=McLeod=] finds out, he's more upset because his wife had the abortion before they met. In an example of extreme ValuesDissonance, the head of the Hays Commission tried to rain down hellfire on the film, saying that abortion was such an evil that you couldn't even discuss it in a film, even if you were portraying it in a fairly negative fashion.

* ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'': Stacy Hamilton, a 15-year-old high school student, decides on an abortion when she discovers she is pregnant from a hookup with Mike Damone. The drama revolves not around the controversy or ill effects of the abortion, but on Damone flaking on paying his half and failing to provide a promised ride to a clinic. Stacy goes through the procedure without Damone's support. [[spoiler: After the procedure, Stacy is at a field trip with her biology class and becomes uncomfortable at the sight of her teacher performing an autopsy because it reminds her of the abortion. But it is mostly a passing moment and Stacy goes on with her life and dates Mark]].

* ''If These Walls Could Talk'': In the first story, the woman gets an abortion in the 1950s from a back-alley doctor and it goes badly, with her fate left uncertain. The third, set in the then-current era of the 1990s, has a college student have an abortion in spite of her friend counseling against it, running a gauntlet of pro-life activists at the clinic and having the doctor shot to death during the middle of the operation when a man sneaks in.

* In ''Ayesha At Last'', this is revealed to be the reason why [[spoiler: Zareena is the BlackSheep of Khalid’s family. She was in a SecretRelationship and got pregnant. She was able to get a safe and legal abortion, but went to gym class immediately after. She started bleeding and was hospitalized. When her mother learned the truth, she responded by disowning Zareena, pulling her out of school and sent her into an ArrangedMarriage in India. She refused to speak to her, even after her father died. In the present day, Zareena doesn’t regret what she did and is HappilyMarried, but refuses to forgive her mother for what happened.]]

* ''Series/BetterThings'': In Season 5 it's gradually revealed Max got pregnant and had an abortion, with Rich by her side. She's afraid to tell Sam, and asks that Rich do it after some time has lapsed afterward.

** Later episodes on the subject follow a similar pattern: a pregnant woman is driven to seek out a backstreet abortion or attempt a termination herself for lack of better options and suffers serious medical complications, but survives and escapes prosecution due to prompt and discreet medical attention and good luck. Patients that break from the formula include the diabetic teenager who is entitled to a legal abortion in hospital, but resists (it’s unclear whether she really wants the baby that badly, or is simply trying to claw back some autonomy from [[MyBelovedSmother her controlling mother]]), and the mother of two who averts the usual miracle recovery and contracts a deadly infection as part of Series 8’s abortionist arc.

* In season 2 of ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'', Paula gets pregnant from her husband, and they decide together to get an abortion. The fallout is not specifically about this, but because her best friend, Rebecca, is so wrapped up in her own issues that Paula doesn't feel comfortable telling her. Paula later blows up at Rebecca for not being there for her.

** In the fourth season, we find out that [[spoiler: Prentiss had an abortion when she was fifteen. Though this fact is mentioned in the context of revealing why she's screwed up, the abortion is never treated as the reason; it is instead the negative reaction of her priest which damages not her, but her friend]].

* The first season of ''Series/{{Maude}}'' featured the 2-part "Maude's Dilemma" story when Maude discovers that she's pregnant at age 47. At first, she struggles over whether or not to have it for Walter's sake while trying to deal with the emotional stress; meanwhile, Walter considers having a vasectomy (which he decides not to get). Arthur discusses health risks with Maude being a mother at such a late age, while Carol mentions that the abortion process is less risky than it was in the past. Walter eventually confesses that being a father was never one of his life's big goals, and Maude eventually decides to go ahead with the abortion.

* In ''Series/SexEducation'' Maeve receives a safe and legal abortion after becoming pregnant from her lover, Jackson. She isn't judged for this, and even gets her her friend, Otis, to pick her up afterwards. Awkwardness ensues when Otis mistakenly believes she was asking him on a date, and gets dressed up to see her, only to be stuck waiting outside the clinic with some Anti-Choice protesters. It's not brought up again in the series after that.

* ''Literature/TheHouseOnTheLagoon'': Carmita, narrator Isabel’s mother, becomes pregnant relatively soon with her second child. Gabriela, Carmita's mother pressures her to have an abortion so she doesn't end up trapped with two small kids. It goes wrong, making it impossible for Carmita to have any more children and messing with her mental health.

* In the 1970’s underground comics feminist anthology ''It Ain’t Me Babe'', one of the stories is about a teenage girl who gets an illegal abortion. She scrapes up the money by selling her stereo and borrowing her dad’s credit card to make large purchases and returns. Once she gets there, the procedure is doing by a creepy BackAlleyDoctor who practically butchers her and only gives her gin for the pain. She almost dies of complications, but is saved by a proper doctor. She doesn’t regret her choice, but is essentially scared of having sex again after all that.

* In Yulia Voznesenskaya's ''My Posthumous Adventures'', Anna, the main character, has an abortion at eighteen and at first doesn't think of it as anything bad; but she is left infertile, suffers bouts of depression due to it, and often secretly cries watching kids on a playground. After her [[spoiler:clinical]] death, she is judged (among other things) for the child's murder and shown that had she kept the baby, her boyfriend whom she thought was immature would have married her, and they would have eventually become a happy and loving family.

* In season 2 of ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'', Paula get pregnant from her husband, and they decide together to get an abortion. The fallout is not specifically about this, but because her best friend, Rebecca, is so wrapped up in her own issues that Paula doesn't feel comfortable telling her. Paula later blows up at Rebecca for not being there for her.

* ''Series/{{Liar}}'': Makeda takes drugs to induce abortion. Nobody in the know disapproves, but they cover it up because her father ''would'', and send Makeda back to Ethiopia.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Remember, this is not about]] any AbortedArc in any of the Franchise/{{Fallout}} games.

* Played with (neutrally) in the ''VideoGame/DotFlow'' {{poe|try}}m fic ''"Lucky"'' (which is based on a theory), where Sabitsuki (a prostitute in this fic) has had abortions in the past, however, it's not that she has them or whether she's a "good girl", it's that procedures are back-alley ones and, in one such occasion, the procedure (like at least one other before) is botched, which almost kills her and leads to a severe infection, ending her time as a prostitute.

* ''Theatre/IfThen:'' In the Beth timeline, Beth gets pregnant after a fling with [[spoiler:her best friend Lucas]] and decides to get an abortion as she's too focused on her work and she's not in love with him. When [[spoiler:Lucas]] finds out about this, he's upset that she got the abortion without even telling him, wondering if things could have gone differently for them.

This trope is most prevalent in the West, where abortion is a sensitive topic, as many Christian denominations teach against it. As such, these plots may be used to deliver AnAesop about the controversy in a VerySpecialEpisode. Anti-abortion stories will have the person getting the abortion be a villain or "bad girl" who suffers an {{Anvilicious}} death or a HeelFaithTurn. Conversely, pro-choice stories will blame society for the protagonist's woes, and use the story to soapbox about the evils of organized religion or abortion restrictions ([[ActivistFundamentalistAntics abortion clinic protestors]] are a common antagonist here). As this is a touchy subject, there's room for plenty of nuance in between. Due to the potential for controversy, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''.

* ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'': Stacy Hamilton, a 15-year-old high school student, decides on an abortion when she discovers she is pregnant from a hookup with Mike Damone. The drama revolves not around the controversy or ill effects of the abortion, but on Damone flaking on paying his half and failing to provide a promised ride to a clinic. Stacy goes through the procedure without Damone's support. [[spoiler: After the procedure, Stacy is at a field trip with her biology class and becomes uncomfortable at the sight of her professor performing an autopsy because it reminds her of the abortion. But it is mostly a passing moment and Stacy goes on with her life and dates Mark]].

* ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'': Stacy Hamilton is a flawed but fundamentally good person. However, when she gets pregnant by Mike Damone[[note]]with whom she has sex out of desperation after mistakenly believing Rat has no interest in her[[/note]], an abortion is quickly decided. The drama revolves not around the controversy or ill effects of the abortion, but on Damone flaking on paying his half and failing to provide a promised ride. It's then exacerbated by Stacy witnessing a demonstration of babies being born at a nearby hospital, which makes her feel very guilty about what she did.

* ''Dvě malá křídla tu nejsou'' ("Two Little Wings Are Not Here", a 1974 [[WhatSongWasThisAgain Czech cover]] of ''Killing Me Softly with His Song'' with lyrics by Zdeněk Borovec), one of singer Helena Vondráčková's standards, is about a "gentle girl" who has had an abortion. The act itself is referred to obliquely; it is made very clear that she feels both depressed and guilty (one of the verses goes: "That thing seemed to be usual/And now it seems to be a sin"). The whole song is very pessimistic and the music video shows a little girl dancing on a field while the singer walks sadly around a park.[[note]]Given that the music industry in Czechoslovakia during Communism was tightly controlled, one possible explanation for this song is that it might have been written as a piece of propaganda to guilt people into keeping their pregnancies and breeding future citizens.

* ''If These Walls Could Talk'': In the first story, the woman gets an abortion in the 1950s from a back-alley doctor and it goes badly wrong, with her fate left uncertain. The third, set in the then-current era of the 1990s, has a college student have an abortion in spite of her friend counseling against it, running a gauntlet of pro-life activists at the clinic and having the doctor shot during the middle of the operation when a man sneaks in.