After revealing her own abortion experience at age 15, Busy Philipps tells Congress: ‘It’s my body, not the state’s’

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Busy Philipps testified before Congress on Tuesday afternoon, sharing details of her abortion at age 15 in her home state of Arizona.
The actress highlighted the importance of keeping abortions legal, safe, and accessible.
"It is my body, not the state’s," Philipps told Congress. "Women and their doctors are in the best position to make informed decisions about what is best for them. No one else."
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"Cougar Town" actress Busy Philipps shared details from her experience getting an abortion as a teenager while she testified in front of Congress Tuesday afternoon in Washington, DC.

"I had my abortion when I was 15 years old, in my home state of Arizona in 1994. It was not a decision I made lightly," the actress shared in her testimony, video of which is available via CBS News.

"I have never for a moment doubted that it was the right decision for me," she continued. "But so much has changed — in Arizona and other states — since then."

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Philipps had been invited by a House Judiciary subcommittee to testify in regards to recent anti-abortion legislation.

The actress went on to outline how she’d go about getting an abortion if she was a teenager in Arizona today.

"I would have to get parental consent. I would be forced to undergo a medically unnecessary ultrasound, to go to a state-mandated, in-person counseling session designed solely to shame me into changing my mind, and then take a state-mandated 24-hour time out to make sure I really knew what I wanted," Philipps said.

"And finally, I would be forced to give the state a reason why," she continued. "Well, here is mine: It is my body. Not the state’s."

Philipps was one of eight witnesses invited to testify before Congress on Tuesday in defense of reproductive rights in America, per CBS.

The actress said during her testimony that she stands by her decision to have an abortion.

"Abortion is health care, and should not be treated as different from any other healthcare," Philipps said.

Philipps is one of the many celebrities who have spoken out against restrictive anti-abortion legislation in recent months.

"The Handmaid’s Tale" star Ann Dowd recently denounced restrictive anti-abortion legislation, and other stars like Jason Bateman and Alyssa Milano have even said they’ll boycott states with controversial anti-abortion laws.

The actress made headlines in May, after she revealed on her show ‘Busy Tonight’ that she’d had an abortion when she was a teenager.

During the segment, Philipps said she shared her abortion experience because she was "genuinely really scared for women and girls all over this country" as new legislation — including Georgia’s controversial "heartbeat" bill — was beginning to restrict abortion access for many.

After she spoke about her experience with abortion, Philipps took to Twitter to encourage other women who’ve had abortions to come forward with their own stories, using the hashtag #YouKnowMe.

Stars like Cynthia Nixon and Alia Shawkat were some of the thousands of women who shared their abortion stories on Twitter in an effort to destigmatize the procedure.

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