Herold

Stephanie Herold

Researcher at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, University of California-San Francisco
Chapter Member: Bay Area SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Stephanie

Herold's research focuses on how abortion is portrayed on U.S. television and film. Overarching themes in Herold’s writing include whether and how onscreen depictions of abortion influence people's knowledge, attitudes, and actions related to abortion, comparing depictions of abortion to the real world experience of abortion, and understanding how various audiences make meaning of abortion depictions. She has served on the advisory boards of the New York Abortion Access Fund, Access Women's Health Justice, ReproAction, and All-Options.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | Member Spotlight | In the News | Publications

Contributions

TV Still Has a Lot to Learn About Abortion

Commentary,

In the News

Quoted by Neda Ulaby in "Fewer Characters on TV Had Abortions This Year — And More Stories Reinforced Shame," NPR, December 13, 2025.
Research discussed by Marina Fang, in "What TV Shows Got Wrong About Abortion In 2024," The Huffington Post, December 18, 2024.
Research discussed by Zoe Guy, in "TV Abortions Seriously Underrepresent the Most Common Abortion Method," Vulture, New York Magazine, December 16, 2022.
Opinion: "Hollywood’s Role in Stigmatizing Abortion," Stephanie Herold, The American Prospect, August 3, 2022.
Opinion: "From ‘Dirty Dancing’ to ‘Scandal,’ On-Screen Abortion Stories Carry Sway," Stephanie Herold, The New York Times, July 24, 2022.
Opinion: "Increased Visibility, Increasing Restrictions: Abortion on TV," Stephanie Herold (with Lauren Herold), The Los Angeles Review of Books, December 21, 2021.

Publications

"'I Love My Kids, This Abortion is Not Because I Don’t': The Meanings of Motherhood and Abortion on U.S. Television, 2013-2023" Television & New Media 26, no. 6 (2025): 651-667.

Investigates how U.S. television portrayals from 2013 to 2023 depict the relationship between motherhood and abortion. Reveals that media narratives increasingly portray abortion and motherhood as compatible experiences, challenging the assumption that people who seek abortions do not value or desire motherhood.

"'I Could See Myself Doing Something like That’: US Women’s Engagement with Characters Who Experience Abortion, Adoption and Surrogacy on Little Fires Everywhere" (with Gretchen Sisson). Culture, Health & Sexuality 26, no. 6 (2024): 839–854.

Considers how women relate to television characters in Little Fires Everywhere who experience abortion, adoption, and surrogacy. Illustrates that viewers frequently see aspects of their own lives and beliefs reflected in these characters, highlighting the role of media narratives in fostering empathy and reflection about reproductive experiences.

"'Women's Lives Are on the Line, and Our Hands Are Tied': How Television Is Reckoning With a Post-Dobbs America" Women's Health Issues 34, no. 6 (2024): 589-596.

Explores how television programs have responded to the legal and social changes surrounding abortion following the Dobbs decision. Illustrates that contemporary television increasingly depicts the real-world consequences of abortion restrictions, emphasizing the medical, emotional, and ethical challenges faced by patients and health care providers.

"Abortion in Entertainment Media, 2019-2024" Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology 36, no. 6 (2024): 400-407.

Surveys how abortion has been portrayed in entertainment media between 2019 and 2024 and considers the messages these portrayals convey to audiences. Demonstrates that recent media representations increasingly depict abortion as a common and complex experience, offering more diverse and realistic narratives about reproductive decision-making.

"'You Can’t Tell This Story Without Abortion': Television Creators on Narrative Intention and Development of Abortion Stories on Their Shows" (with Gretchen Sisson). Communication, Culture and Critique 16, no. 3 (2023): 190–197.

Explores how television creators approach the development of abortion storylines and the role these narratives play within their shows. Suggests that creators view abortion stories as essential to portraying characters’ lives realistically and to representing the complexity of reproductive experiences on screen.