Although I would describe myself as a staunchly pro-choice person and I have a habit of speaking about abortion with an almost shocking flippancy, I tend to think it's important for people to challenge their beliefs occasionally and it was with that sense of duty that I sat down to watch Abortion: The Choice (Tuesday, BBC2).
A part of the BBC Bare Facts season, it featured five very candid accounts from women who have had abortions. Admirably steering clear of any moral examination but refusing to shirk the upsetting realities of abortion, the film instead focused entirely on the emotional effects of the process, vividly illustrating the difficulty of the choice some women face and - to be honest - making for an hour of just horribly, gut-wrenchingly sad television.
Speaking about how and why they came to their decision, what it was like to undergo the procedure and how it has been to live with their choice ever since, it was certainly an enlightening experience. Unlike most TV documentaries on abortion I've seen, Abortion: The Choice really gave face to the whirlwind of conflicting emotion women face in this situation and forced you to look at your own opinion of abortion, whatever it is, in a new light. The film promised at the beginning that whatever your opinion currently is, it would make you reconsider it. Mission accomplished, I'd say.
Emotional masochists can watch it on BBC iPlayer for the next few days.
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