Available Formats
You're the Only One I've Told: The Stories Behind Abortion
By (Author) Meera Shah
Chicago Review Press
Chicago Review Press
15th April 2026
United States
General
Non Fiction
Feminism and feminist theory
Biography: science, technology and medicine
Paperback
304
Width 152mm, Height 228mm, Spine 25mm
644g
"Moving, multifaceted, and deeply human...as eye-opening as it is compelling"-Cecile Richards, author ofMake Trouble
At a time where reproductive rights are at risk, these vital stories of diverse individuals serve as a reminder of the importanceofempathy, finding community and motivating advocacy
For a long time, when people asked Dr. Meera Shah,Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic,what she did, she would tell them she was a doctor and leave it at that.Butwhen she started to be direct about her work as an abortion provideran interesting thing started to happen: one by one, people would confidethat they'd had an abortion themselves.The refrain was often the same:You're the only one I've told.
This book collects these storiesas they've been told to Shah to humanize abortion and to combat myths that persist in the discourse that surrounds it.Awide range of ages, races, socioeconomic factors, and experiences shows that abortion 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 the power to break down stigmas and help us to empathize with those whose experiences are unlike our own.
A portion of proceedswill be donated to promote reproductive health access.
"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
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.