Kelly* felt like she was living inside a cheesy romantic comedy when she saw a tiny, blurry plus sign on her drug store pregnancy test during the summer of 2018. The 26-year-old never expected to get knocked up, much less after a drunken one-night stand with a longtime friend. Kelly knew she wasn’t financially stable enough to raise a child, so she made the choice that thousands of Wisconsin women make every year: she decided get an abortion.

“I just ended up calling Planned Parenthood and speaking to this amazing lady,” says Kelly. “I don’t know what her name was, but I will never, ever forget her. She should keep her job there forever, because she’s phenomenal.” The woman on the phone told Kelly she had an abortion once, too, and walked her through Wisconsin’s process.

When Kelly arrived at Planned Parenthood, she skimmed through some paperwork and was whisked away by a nurse into a huge recovery room, filled wall-to-wall with reclining chairs. “I was the only one back there,” says Kelly. “You know how you see on the TV shows, with people on the stretchers and there’s just like, hospital lights above them?” she asks. “That’s the intensity I felt.” 

During her procedure, Kelly says the nurse tried to comfort her, and the OBGYN mostly spoke about the medical aspects of abortion. After making necessary small talk, he three women quickly learned they all shared one thing in common. “There was a lot of conversation about how we all hated Scott Walker and Donald Trump,” says Kelly

It’s no secret that abortion access in the state of Wisconsin is extremely limited. Even though Wisconsin has been considered progressive in other political areas, reproductive rights in the state are frequently challenged by citizens and politicians alike. Wisconsin has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the county, and the state’s “purple” political climate often creates a tug-of-war affect with abortion legislation. Both pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates are actively working to undermine one another’s efforts, and organizations on both ends of the abortion spectrum are trying to assist women experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

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<figure class="wp-block-audio"><figcaption>Samantha* opted for the “pill abortion” and underwent the procedure at home. (Photo: Lauren Keene)</figcaption></figure>

An October 2018 political survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 58 percent ofAmericans believe abortion “should be legal in all or most cases.” Conversely, 37 percent believe the procedure should be outlawed in all or most cases. The survey found “deep disagreement between – and within – the parties over abortion,” stating “the partisan divide on abortion is far wider than it was two decades ago.” A religious landscape study conducted by the Pew Forum found that 53 percent of Wisconsin residents believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 45 percent believe abortion should be outlawed. These numbers are noticeably different from the national averages, and they’re reflective of Wisconsin’s current political climate and attitudes toward abortion.

According to “Abortion Laws in Wisconsin,” a document created by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, performing abortions was criminally prohibited in the state from 1849 until the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was challenged in 1992 in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a case that “upheld the essential holding” of Roe v. Wade but also “held that certain state restrictions on abortion are permissible.” The case put abortion rights into the hands of individual states’ lawmakers, and Wisconsin would begin to feel the effects shortly after the case was complete. 

‘I Haven’t Had a Safe Feeling in Eight Years’

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<figure class="wp-block-audio"><figcaption>Sarah, a current Planned Parenthood employee, reflects on an abortion that inspired her to work for the pro-choice organization. (Photo: Lauren Keene)</figcaption></figure>

Extremist attitudes toward abortion have made headlines in Wisconsin for years. In 2011, a Planned Parenthood office in Grand Chute, Wis. was damaged after a homemade bomb was placed on a building windowsill after business hours. The bomb did not detonate, but concern for patient and provider safety became a high priority for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Five years later, the clinic closed its doors due to security concerns. Also in 2011, Marshfield, Wis. resident Ralph Lane was arrested in a Madison motel room after his gun accidentally fired. Lane was found guilty of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for plotting to kill a Planned Parenthood abortion provider inside the Madison clinic, admitting that he was planning to “mow down” the clinic’s staff.

Seven years later, Wisconsin abortion clinic employees are still worried about their own safety and the safety of patients. Jessica* works at an abortion clinic in downtown Milwaukee, and says constant protests often leave staff feeling on edge. “It’s a really hostile environment,” she says. “It makes an already overwhelming situation even more overwhelming. I just try to get inside and stay inside all day until I leave.” Jessica says that anti-abortion protestors target clinic employees with different tactics, including offering monetary assistance to find a new job. “I try not to think about it too much,” she says. “Sometimes the protestors overstep their