Sally Field tells story of harrowing abortion in Mexico as a teenager: 'We can't go back'

CNN
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Oscar-winning actress Sally Field has spoken out about a “life-changing” abortion she had as a teenager, highlighting the issue of reproductive rights.

Field recalled the ordeal in a video posted to her Instagram, saying that she had an abortion at the age of 17 in Tijuana, Mexico, on the advice of a doctor who was also a family friend.

The doctor, she said, drove her to the clinic accompanied by Field's mother and the doctor's wife.

Recalling the harrowing details of her experience, Field said she was abused during the procedure, which she said was performed without anesthesia other than “a few puffs of ether.”

“I'm still very ashamed of it because I grew up in the '50s and it's deeply ingrained in me,” she said. “It was beyond disgusting and life-changing.”

She first told the story of her abortion in her 2018 memoir titled “In Pieces.”

In her video account of the experience, Field praised the doctor who helped her find treatment for his “generosity” and “bravery.” Abortion was illegal in the United States at the time.

Field added in her video that she was sharing the story to shed light on “the things that women are going through now,” citing increasing restrictions on reproductive rights that have been a central issue in the 2024 presidential campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has sought to put abortion rights at the center of its campaign while targeting voters in critical states, citing state-level restrictions imposed in part by former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's supremo Court decisions were made possible.

Field endorsed Harris in August. She has previously expressed support for Democratic candidates and has long been an advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and the fight against climate change.

“We can’t go back,” Field said in the video.