Ted Audio Collective Hey listeners welcome back to Ted Health. I'm Dr. Shoshana Unger-Lighter.

We live in a world where women's reproductive rights are constantly under the

microscope and it's easy to get lost in the whirlwind of opinions and political

debates. But what if we took a step back to really understand the real life stories behind these discussions?

In her Ted Women 2023 talk, researcher Diana Green Foster explores how personal decisions about unintended pregnancies

profoundly impact women's lives and family destinies.

Through her research, Diana weaves tales from past generations, highlighting the

intricate ways that these choices shape our paths. This talk goes beyond

academic research and delves into the depth and complexity of human experience

and the importance of autonomy in shaping our futures. I'd like to start by telling you the story of two women born early in the

20th century.

They lived on different coasts, they had different religious backgrounds,

and they were in different stages of life

when each experienced an unwanted pregnancy.

Sally was newly married at the start of the Great Depression.

She and her husband decided they couldn't afford to start a family yet.

But abortion was illegal in New York City and so she traveled to Puerto Rico to get an illegal abortion.

Dorothy had recently graduated from high school when she became pregnant by a much older golf instructor.

Her conservative parents shunned her and she had to go away to a Salvation Army home for

unwed mothers where she gave birth and placed a child for a child. to a Salvation Army home for unwed mothers,

where she gave birth and placed a child for adoption.

These women were my grandmothers,

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