In 1966, Lawrence Lader published Abortion, one of the most controversial books of its time.

“Abortion is the dread secret of our society,” he wrote. It’s been 61 years since the book was published, and not much has changed.

Sometimes, we’re fortunate to hear stories from women who have had abortions — thanks to pro-choice campaigns like “Shout Your Abortion” — but rarely do we hear from those providing them. In California, they’re gynecologists, nurse practitioners, certified midwives and physician’s assistants.

Being an abortion provider has never been easy. Since 1993, at least 11 people have been killed in attacks on abortion clinics. In 2011, 84 percent of US clinics cited at least one case of harassment from the pro-life crowd, and 3 percent reported at least one bomb threat.

While today’s political climate only makes their jobs harder, California’s abortion providers have never been more assured about their roles in the fight for women’s reproductive rights. Eva* conducts between 15 and 21 abortion procedures each week.

“Most people, when they see what actually came out of their uterus, they feel a lot better.”

“I feel really passionate about making sure that my patients get good care, and judgment-free care,” she said. “Our job is not to just empty their uterus and have them get on with their life. It’s to make them feel better, just like at any other clinic where they go in, not feeling well, and they leave feeling relieved or feeling cared for.”

Eva spends three days a week in the clinic. The other days, she does Pap smears, IUD insertions and routine breast checks. In the first-trimester clinic, she terminates pregnancies before 14 weeks — the most common stage at which surgical abortions occur.

“I check the patient’s ultrasound, and then I go into the room and ask people how they’re doing. I ask if they’re clearly confident about their decision, if they have questions, if they are making their decision independently or if they feel pressured or coerced. Most of the time, I get pretty straightforward answers,” she said.

Eva is very transparent about her work. Being open about it, she says, is the only way people can continue to normalize abortion rhetoric.

The procedure can last anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes and is very safe, Eva said. First, she puts in a speculum, just as if a woman were getting a Pap smear. Then she looks for the cervix, which, as she tells her younger patients, “is like a natural hole at the back of your vagina, kind of like a little nostril.” After that, if she has to, she dilates it to around one centimeter, injects lidocaine to numb the cervix, inserts a tube the size of a soda straw and removes the embryo.

“One of the best things of all time to hear is when they’re, like, ‘It’s over already?’ and you’re, like, ‘Yeah, you’re done. That was it,’” she said.

According to a study in 2015, 95 percent of women who get abortions don’t regret their decision. Once in a while, Eva says, a patient will ask to see the removed tissue, or “products of conception,” after the procedure.

“You don’t want to show them if you think they’re going to misinterpret what they see because they’re under the influence. But most people, when they see what actually came out of their uterus, they feel a lot better,” she said.

These days are easier compared to the days she spends in the second-trimester clinic, where a woman may be up to six months pregnant. In California, it’s legal to get an abortion until the fetus is said to be “viable outside the womb.” This usually occurs between the 22nd and 24th week.

Eva’s role during this procedure is to dilate — the rest is left to a surgeon.

“I’m dealing with patients who have already had baby showers. They either lost the pregnancy entirely or found out that there’s some sort of anomaly, or there’s been drug use,” she said. “Those days are tough. It’s hard for the patients, and then having to shut the door and do your work and then open the door to see the next patient.”

The reason why women decide to end a pregnancy in the second trimester varies, Eva said. Some women are prisoners, and they didn’t anticipate the amount of time they’d be incarcerated.

“They just feel like the most compassionate choice is to end the pregnancy,” she explained.

And sometimes teenagers choose to get a second-trimester abortion because they didn’t know they were pregnant.

“It happens all the time, and it’s shocking. They don’t look pregnant, and they’ve never been taught about their bodies. It happens,” she said.

On rare occasions, a protestor becomes a client. Last year, a pro-life woman pretended to be a patient. “She had a partner in the waiting room,” she said.

Eva gets through the tough days by embracing the thoughtful gestures from patients and supporters — like sending her and her coworkers flowers.

In Eva’s personal life, she’s very transparent about her work. Being open about it, she says, is the only way people can continue to normalize abortion rhetoric. This is something her coworkers are passionate about too.

“Today, I actually saw one of the medical assistants get picked up by her partner, and all her kids were in the back. I was like, ‘Yes, that’s so cool.’ They’re picking Mom up at the abortion clinic,” she said.

*Names have been changed for safety.