In 1962, Chessen became a subject of controversy when she sought an abortion after discovering that the thalidomide she had been taking caused serious fetal deformities when used in the early stages of pregnancy.
In 1961, Chessen's husband, Bob Finkbine, chaperoned a group of high school students on a European tour, where he purchased over-the-counter sedatives and brought the remainder home.
[4] According to history professor Mary Frances Berry, her story "helped change public opinion [on abortion].
[19] Lee Epstein, a professor of law and political science, wrote that "Finkbine’s situation evoked sympathetic reactions from various organizations and, in essence, led to the creation of an American abortion reform movement.
In the 1990s, she did voice acting for cartoons and wrote two children’s books to address the issues of gun violence and bullying.
[4] After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022 Chessen gave an interview to CBS News Sunday Morning, almost 60 years after her own abortion.
In the interview, she characterized herself as pro-choice and anti-abortion, saying that abortions are quite awful, but that "We can't go back to willow sticks and knitting needles and all the things that women have perforated their uteruses with.".