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 don’t remember how old I was when I knew that I was pro-choice. However, being pro-choice truly became personal when my mother told me and my sister that she had an abortion. She waited until we were adults to tell us. I could tell that it was something that she had been thinking about for a long time and finally got the courage to say at that moment. My mother told us that she had an abortion after I was born. My father had just been diagnosed with colon cancer and my mom felt she could not continue with the pregnancy. My father died a year later and I am saddened when I think about the conversation my parents had to have about my father’s impending death, and whether or not my mother could continue with the pregnancy and raise two small children by herself.
I saw a t-shirt a few years ago that said “I had an Abortion.” This slogan illustrates that people can be comfortable with their decision to seek abortion care and not be ashamed. My mother’s abortion was something that was difficult for her to share and something that she kept silent about for years. And because I won’t forget this, I will continue to fight for a woman’s right to choose.
--Submitted by Neci through our website
My decision to seek abortion care was made out of love, deep thought, and consideration. Some people want women to believe that abortion is shameful, but it is not. A woman’s decision should not be looked down upon. I love children; I have four children, and I am pro-choice. It is not an easy decision, but if an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy occurs, a woman should be able to choose abortion care if she pleases! Thank you to the doctors and people who fight so that we have this right.
--Submitted by Erica 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 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
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 got pregnant three years ago. Even though my boyfriend wanted me to continue with the pregnancy, I knew that I could not raise a child and still do everything that I wanted to do. I chose to have an abortion because I had too much planned and also because there was no way that I could afford to raise a child. I had no job and neither did he, and I didn't want to make my mom support my mistake.
When I went in for the abortion, I was nervous and a little scared even though I knew it was the right choice. The procedure wasn't scary, the people were really nice, and there was no pain. Although that guy left me, I now have a great boyfriend that I have been with for the last two years. If I had not had an abortion, I would have been tied down to my ex and I would have never been able to meet my current boyfriend, who I love. I probably wouldn't still be in school either. If I had not had an abortion, I would not have the wonderful life that I have today.
--Submitted by Jemma through our website
I am 34 years old and disabled, and feel unable to care for a child. I have been trying to have my tubes tied since I was 25, but always receive the same condescending response, “oh no, we just cannot do that at your age, it would not be responsible. You will change your mind.”
Throughout the health care debate, I was both angered, yet relieved that I live in California where reproductive health care including my annual exams and birth control pills are covered by our Medicaid. However, I have been forced to switch to Medicare, “which cannot use federal funds for such luxuries,” and doesn’t cover abortion. I feel like I have been banging my head against a wall trying to find a way to get the health care that I need! I was even thinking about giving up my Medicare Plan B until I learned it would take two months for the plan to be terminated!
I want to thank NAF for helping me find a clinic that will help me obtain an abortion. I am not a heartless person--I just have never wanted any children. I suffer from severe anxiety and panic disorder and take medications. I believe it would be wrong to bring an unwanted child into this world especially not knowing what harmful effects my medications may inflict on it.
--Submitted by Kadyn 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 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.
Life doesn’t always take you down the roads you choose but when you get to those tough spots you have to make the right decisions. Organizations like NAF help women who are struggling. Having a choice about your life and your body should be a basic human right. There are few places where women like me can go without feeling degraded for having a choice. The counseling and education options and financial assistance NAF provides speak volumes.
--Submitted by Jael through a member clinic
Since I was in elementary school, I wanted to go to law school. Just a week after being accepted into my top choice school I noticed something weird with my body. I was on birth control for three months and had recently stopped it, so I blamed the changes on this. Finally after I had gained about 10 pounds I went to the doctor only to find that my greatest fear was confirmed--I was pregnant. As a full-time student, there was no way that this was the right time for me to have a child! Without a second thought, I chose my parents, friends, career, and future over something that was not meant for my life right now. NAF has helped me focus on building a better future and when I’m ready, I can provide a solid foundation for my future family.
--Submitted by A'Mariana through a member clinic
This weekend The Indianapolis Star and The Wichita Eagle published my letters to the editor about state abortion restrictions:
The Indianapolis Star: Abortion legislation supports false link to breast cancer
The Indiana House recently passed legislation that would require women seeking abortion care to be told about a false link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer.
This legislation disregards credible scientific evidence on the subject and is aimed at dissuading women from choosing abortion. More than 100 of the world's leading experts on pregnancy and cancer, including the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have concluded that there is no such link.
Responsible medicine requires that patients and doctors make treatment decisions together based on medically accurate, unbiased information, not on the anti-choice political agenda of some legislators.
The Wichita Eagle: Abortion laws not based on the truth
Kansas women seeking reproductive health care deserve complete, unbiased and medically accurate information. However, legislators are more concerned about restricting women's access to abortion than about the truth.
Last week the Legislature sent a bill to Gov. Sam Brownback's desk that would ban some abortions in the state based on the unsubstantiated and incorrect claim that a fetus can feel pain at 22 weeks. Last year the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists reviewed the latest evidence and found that "the fetus cannot experience pain in any sense" before 24 weeks gestation. The report also stated that "after 24 weeks, it is difficult to say that the fetus experiences pain," noting that "increasing evidence suggests that the fetus never enters a state of wakefulness inside the womb."
Kansas women deserve the facts, not inflammatory, unsubstantiated rhetoric, and the legislation completely disregards the scientific evidence. This bill is nothing more than an attempt to restrict women from accessing the abortion care they need.
The Legislature also passed a bill requiring a minor to get consent from both parents before obtaining abortion care. Most teenagers already involve their parents in their abortion decision, and those who don't often do so for compelling reasons such as incest or fear of emotional or physical harm.
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. 
