"My Baby Went Straight to Heaven": Morality Work in Abortion Online Storytelling.

This article examines how women morally account for their own abortion experiences through qualitative analysis of 156 anonymous stories from the digital storytelling website My Abortion, My Life, which is sponsored by a U.S.-based abortion provider and advocacy organization. It identifies four primary moral frameworks women use in their narratives: abortion as a private choice emphasizing bodily autonomy; abortion as morally unremarkable normalizing the experience; abortion as morally problematic but justified through excuses and justifications; and abortion as morally desirable, presenting abortion as the most ethical option. The study highlights that many women navigate a "tension of opposites," simultaneously recognizing the fetus as a life while affirming abortion as morally acceptable or necessary, sometimes incorporating religious discourse to support their moral identities. These findings challenge binary activist narratives and suggest a more nuanced understanding of morality work in abortion discourse, with implications for broader sociological theories of moral identity and stigma.