Abortion remains one of television's hot-button topics, with characters on network shows often discussing, but rarely terminating a pregnancy.
When the issue is developed, the participants run the gamut of emotions that explore where they are morally, spiritually and financially at a certain point in the lives. In TV land, a miscarriage sometimes occurs as a convenient way to close the discussion.
There are exceptions. Here are some examples where television has discussed abortion with a pro-choice stance:
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1. Maude: With abortion now legal in the United States, a 47-year-old Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) becomes pregnant in a 1972 episode of the popular Norman Lear television show. After emotional soul-searching with her husband, Maude decides to undergo the procedure, a stance consistent with her pro-choice, liberal-thinking character. Amid many protest letters, the controversial episode scores big ratings.
2. Girls: In typical fashion, the HBO comedy dealt with the topic in a casual, almost dismissive way, but strongly advocated for the decision being one a woman can make alone. In a February 2015 episode, Mimi-Rose Howard (Gillian Jacobs) announces to boyfriend Adam Sackler (Adam Driver), "I can't go for a run because I had an abortion yesterday."
Her matter-of-fact statement took the conversation about a woman's right to choose to a new level. Angrily asked whether it was a boy or girl, she later responds with a composed, "It was a ball of cells. It was smaller than a seed pearl. It didn't have a penis or a vagina."
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3. The Fosters: Titled "Mother," the ABC Family show featured one woman's decision to have an abortion later in pregnancy in a 2014 episode. Lena Adams (Sherri Saum) learns she has life-threatening pre-eclampsia, a condition that was a danger to her and her baby. After emotional conversations with her wife Stef (Teri Polo) and mother, Adams ends the pregnancy at 20 weeks. Her reasons illustrate the careful consideration of one's choices.
4. Sex and the City: A one-night stand with her ex-lover results in a pregnancy for Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), and she choose to have an abortion. When she tells her friends, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) reveal their past abortions, while Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) is upset and angry, largely due to her inability to conceive on her own. After serious thought, Miranda decides to have the baby.
5. Grey's Anatomy: Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) gets pregnant years after a miscarriage allowed her not to consider having an abortion. This time, Yang decides on terminating her pregnancy over her husband's objections, because she wants to dedicate her life to her job as a surgeon, which has long been her character's arc. Her husband Owen (Kevin McKidd) eventually accompanies Yang to an appointment, and Yang goes through with the procedure.
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