In 13 US states, abortion is banned in the earliest stages of pregnancy. But we rarely see what such tissue looks like. In the earlier stages of the pandemic when some states tried to deem abortion as “non-essential” medical care, the MYA Network, a network of clinicians and activists came together to show us what tissue in the first nine weeks of pregnancy actually looks like. The photos show the early pregnancy tissue removed at four weeks through to what's removed at nine weeks. At four weeks Dr Joan Fleischman, part of the MYA Network, uses a gentle handheld device that removes the tissue. This more delicate type of extraction keeps it intact. The final slide shows the gestational sac of the pregnancy at nine weeks. This is everything that would be removed during an abortion and includes the nascent embryo, which is not easily discernible to the naked eye. Sometimes, patients want to see the tissue after an abortion. “They are stunned by what it actually looks like,” says Dr Fleischman. “That’s when I realized how much the imagery on the internet and on placards – showing human-like qualities at this early stage of development – has really permeated the culture. People almost don’t believe this is what comes out.” Want to find out more? Follow the link in our bio to read the full story, as well as an FAQ from the MYA Network on their photos. Photographs: @myanetwork via @guardian_us Note: the post was edited and reuploaded to add further context to the slides.