While I was getting my master’s in social work, I requested to do my field placement in a reproductive health clinic. I ultimately spent 18 months providing pre-abortion counseling (a state requirement where I live) and procedure counseling. The latter meant that I was often in the exam room providing support to women during their first- and early second trimester abortion procedures. I held their hands. I coached them through breathing, muscle relaxation, and visualization exercises. I watched and I listened. I gave tissues when tears came and held back their hair if they needed to throw up. When it was over, many patients asked for a hug. I always obliged. Some folks needed a lot of active support, others just needed the quiet presence of another human. In those cases I would hang back, assist the doctor, and witness. This experience reinforced what I always knew intuitively…that every human with a uterus has a right to bodily integrity. That if we don’t have control over our own r...