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‘Girls’ Actress Jemima Kirke Opens Up About Abortion

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 10:06 PST, Apr 14, 2015

On the HBO series Girls, the topic of abortion has been openly discussed. Now, one of the show’s stars, Jemima Kirke is opening up about her own abortion to support the Center For Reproductive Rights.

Kirke is very candid in the video, as she describes her decision to get an abortion, and how she struggled to get an abortion because of the loop holes the system has. At the time, Kirke wasn’t known for playing Jessa on Girls and was just a student when she found herself pregnant. Back in 2007, she wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted to stay attached to her boyfriend, and she also didn’t live a life that would allow her to support a child, so she made a very important decision.

Speaking of its taboo nature, Kirke said that at the time, she was ashamed to tell her parents to reach out for support. “I went to Planned Parenthood in Rhode Island where I was at school. Because I couldn’t tell my mother I was pregnant, I had to pay out of pocket. I did have to empty my checking account and get some from my boyfriend.”

She continued, “I realized if I didn’t take the anesthesia I would be able to afford to do this. It’s these obstacles and this stigma that makes these things not completely unavailable. That’s the tricky part. We think we do have free choice and we are able to do whatever want, but then there’s these little hoops we have to jump through to get them.”

Jemima isn’t the only person in her family making sure that women’s rights aren’t compromised. Her sister Domino is a doula, a non-medical companion who assists with childbirth. Jemima’s sister started Carriage House Birth, which is a service for women who want to experience a more personalized birthing plan.

The mission statement is as follows:

“We believe that it is imperative for our birth doulas, postpartum doulas, body workers and placenta encapsulationists to all interact with each other so that they feel comfortable with calling on one another for support.”

Watch Jemima Kirke’s story below:

[Image via YouTube screengrab]

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