Voluntary Pregnancy Termination: "VPT"
By Trudy Johnson. Posted on .
When I help women walk through the grief/sadness they feel after an abortion, I see great value in referring to the procedure as voluntary pregnancy termination or "vpt." I've raised the "ire" of many because of this belief.
I've seen in actual therapy sessions that referring to "vpt" takes it out of the political/religious realm and helps women to own and take responsibility for their past. As long as women look at their "vpt" as abortion they will not process the grief surrounding the event.
More from YourTango: How To Survive Mother's Day If You Feel Post-Abortion Grief
Abortion is a legality, it is a political debate, it is a heated topic that raises volatile anger in red and blue states. The word abortion keeps women from looking at their own hearts regarding their choice.
Voluntary pregnancy termination...that's calling "it" what "it" is. This demands attention in a woman's personal heart. I've found most women have incredible strength facing grief after abortion if we can get the procedure removed from the heart level issue that it is.
More from YourTango: Abortion Aftercare: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Women for the most part are abandoned in their walking through the natural grief that comes from "vpt." They will not take this journey as long as they can compartmentalize it into a political/legal issue.
"Vpt" brings things into a personal realm and helps women look deep inside to recognize and process the grief that follows.
