Overview

Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic tells the myriad stories of diverse individuals whose abortion experiences bring vital and threatened reproductive rights to life

For a long time, when people asked Dr. Meera Shah what she did, she would tell them she was a doctor and leave it at that. But over the last few years, Shah decided it was time to be direct. "I'm an abortion provider," she will now say. And an interesting thing started to happen each time she met someone new. One by one, people would confide—at BBQs, at jury duty, in the middle of the greeting card aisle at Target— that in fact they'd had an abortion themselves. And the refrain was often the same: You're the only one I've told. This book collects those stories as they've been told to Shah to humanize abortion and to combat myths that persist in the discourse that surrounds it. An intentionally wide range of ages, races, socioeconomic factors and experiences, shows that abortion does not happen in isolation—it always occurs in a unique context. Today, a healthcare issue that's so precious and foundational to reproductive, social, and economic freedom for millions of people is exploited by politicians who lack understanding or compassion about the context in which abortion occurs. Stories have power to break down stigmas and help us to empathize with those whose experiences are unlike our own. They can also help us find community and a shared sense of camaraderie over experiences just like ours. You're the Only One I've Told will do both.

Reviews

"These moving stories, taken together, sharply reveal the connections among 'reproductive justice, gender justice, racial justice, and economic justice.' A strong contribution to discussions of reproductive rights." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

"Shah places a wide range of engrossing abortion stories in their social, legal, and political contexts and spotlights the unjust toll restrictions on abortion access inflict. Her much-needed reproductive justice lens shows that abortion is . . . absolutely essential to ensuring freedom and equality. " —Dorothy Roberts, author of Killing the Black Body 

"I learned something I didn't know about abortion in every chapter of this book. Deeply thankful for this resource." —Alex, Goodreads 

"A clear-eyed and shame-free examination from a doctor on the frontlines, You're the Only One I've Told is the book the feminist movement has been waiting for. Everyone should read it." —Jessica Valenti, author of Sex Object

"Readers who have felt isolated or stigmatized in talking about their own abortions will find stories that resonate, while others will have their concept of who seeks an abortion broadened. This is a moving and deeply informed argument for abortion as a human right." —Publishers Weekly  

"I fell in love with the humans and their stories. I feel like this should be required reading in school. It's compassion training 101 and important right now more than ever." —Claire, Goodreads  ​

"The courage and honesty in the writing of Dr. Meera Shah paints the clearest of pictures: abortion isn't a political tool. It is health care. Personal, moving and necessary—truly a must read." —Alyssa Mastromonaco, New York Times bestselling author and cohost of Crooked Media's #Hysteria podcast 

"Shah places each person's experiences into a larger discussion about attacks on abortion services, and the disinformation that comes with them. An important addition to the field of reproductive justice." —Booklist 

Author Biography

Dr. Meera Shah is a family medicine physician practicing in New York, currently as the Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, where she also serves as the director of Gender Affirming Care and director of HIV Prevention Services.