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 will be featuring 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.
I am so tired of abortion being vilified. The lies that are spread about women who have abortions, the abortion clinics, and doctors who provide them, just makes me ill.
I had been married for a year when I became pregnant. We were not ready to be parents, but abortion is not covered by the military or even partially covered by TRICARE unless the woman’s life is at risk. I had to seek out a clinic on my own. Luckily it was early in my pregnancy and I had the option to use mifepristone instead of having the surgical procedure, and I was able to do so in the comfort of our home with my husband holding my hand.
I don’t regret my decision. I know that I did what was in the best interest of me, my husband, and our family.
We now have a beautiful, wonderful, and extremely intelligent daughter that we love very much. She was the absolute best decision that we ever made and we were both very secure in how we planned to get pregnant with her.
The stories that surround abortion care seem to be from those who claim to regret their decisions. I want people to know that it’s not all tears, doubts, and regret. Sometimes it is the hard decisions that make life better. I am very secure in who I am as a person and a mother, and I cherish every day that I have with my daughter because she was wanted.
–Submitted by Kaci through our website
When I made the decision to terminate my pregnancy I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to conceive again. I had so many procedures done to remove cancerous cells on my cervix that I was afraid that I had lost too much tissue. Seeking abortion care turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. In the end, I followed my heart and I knew that I wasn’t ready to bring a child into the world. I don’t regret what I have done and I am not afraid to tell people that I had an abortion. It is a part of me and the great news is that I shouldn’t have any problem still conceiving when I find the right man.
–Submitted by Benita through our website