Anti-choice politician changes his mind about abortion - after doing one simple thing.

A few simple conversations have changed radically changed a politician’s stance in a way he had never expected.

Tim Ryan is a pro-life, Christian politician from the US who has served on the national advisory board of anti-abortion organisation, Democrats For Life of America, and has joined with the conservative Republican party’s push to restrict women’s access to abortion.

But now he has publicly announced that he has changed his mind on the issue.

And it wasn’t lobbying, research or the media that flipped the switch for him.

He simply spoke to women about the issue – and when he heard what they had to say, he was moved to act.

Ryan wrote an opinion piece for Ohio.com in which he explained why he changed his mind.

I have sat with women from Ohio and across the nation and heard them talk about their varying experiences: abusive relationships, financial hardship, health scares, rape and incest. There are endless stories about women in troubling situations — the woman who became pregnant and has a violent spouse; the woman who lost her job and is unable to afford another child; or the underage girl worried she’ll be thrown out of her house if she reveals her pregnancy.

These women gave me a better understanding of how complex and difficult certain situations can become…

With this new understanding, Ryan has realised that there is a role for government, but it’s in ensuring women have the information and the access they need to control their own fertility – and in ending discrimination against women:

Where government [has] the ability to play a significant role is in giving women and families the tools they need to prevent unintended pregnancies by expanding education and access to contraception. We must get past the ignorance, fear and — yes — discrimination against women that lead to restrictions on contraception and age-appropriate sex education.

Perhaps his most powerful and profound revelation is this:

I have come to believe that we must trust women and families — not politicians — to make the best decision for their lives.

We can only hope that politicians across Australia take note: take the time to speak to the people who may be impacted by your decisions. You might find your position changes radically.