A new series of ads is on display this month in the New York subway system.

The “Abortion Changes You” subway ads are intended to highlight the post-abortion outreach of the same name that seeks to create “a safe place away from politics, labels and debate to meet the needs of men and women who have shared their abortion stories,” according to an Oct. 9 press release about the initiative.

Check out the “Voices” ads here at the Abortion Changes You website.

Abortion Changes You founder Michaelene Fredenburg had an abortion herself, at the age of 18. She later wrote a book entitled, “Changed: Making Sense of Your Own or a Loved One’s Abortion Experience,” to share the experiences she and others have had in coming to terms with the unexpected and lasting consequences of abortion.

The subway ad campaign is timed to coincide with the conclusion of the 2008 election cycle, but not in order to influence its outcome.

Instead, according to Fredenburg, it’s an effort to reach out to the vast audience — the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, estimates 1 in 3 American women will have had an abortion by age 45 — who struggle with the personal consequences of abortion and who may be disturbed by the intense political debate over the issue. 

“We know how to shout about abortion, but we don’t know how to have a compassionate conversation,” said Fredenburg in the press release. “It is my hope that in the midst of this volatile political season we might hear something different.”

— Tom McFeely