I am 28 years old and a mother of three children. In February 2010, I fell causing severe nerve, bone, and muscle damage to my back. It took several months to recover, during which my relationship fell apart, I lost my job, I had to move back in with my parents, and I filed for bankruptcy. In the midst of all this, I found out I was pregnant, and my doctor informed me that the medication that I was taking interacted with my birth control. Now is not the right time for this pregnancy. Without NAF and its member clinic in Cleveland, I’d be forced to have a child in horrible circumstances.
–Submitted by Belle* through a member clinic
At this point in my life, things are hard. I have five children ages 23, 19, 13, 8, 3. I love them dearly but I am having a hard time raising my three younger children. Terminating a pregnancy is the last thing that I ever expected to do. I am a single parent and try my best to raise my children. However, another child would not help improve my situation. I used birth control but it was not effective. I have no medical insurance and I cannot afford to raise another child. I thank God that I got assistance with my abortion care.
–Submitted by Mannie* through our website
Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we feature real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.