Liz Price

I had an abortion

1993 Australia (gebore in Australia)

resolved relieved stupid afraid sad

My decision to end my pregnancy was very clear. I had no doubt that the decision was for the best. I remember feeling emotionally exhausted though, being awayf rom home and firends and family as the situation unfolded. The morning sickness was horrid, and started when I was still hiking in Africa. I remember the shame of vomiting in the sink in the airpoirt toilet and confiding to the woman next to me that I was pregnant. She glanced at my hands and saw no ring and walked out with a look of disgust. The sadness I felt afterward abortion was knowing that that the last time I had with my Grandfather was clouded by my "difficulties". I found that the hardest thing to get over. But these were the consequence of the unplanned pregnancy not of the abortion.

in a clinic or hospital with surgery

The abortion experience itself was okay. The Doctor who performed the procedure was known to me. When I was a University student I used to deliver pizzas to him! I remember thinking he looked like a kindly elf, dressed in his green surgery gown.

financial issues my age (too young or old) my personal reasons for not wanting a child

The pregnancy resulted from a one-off encounter with a man now referred to as "Carl the Impregnator". I had no desire to raise a child on my own.

Het die onwettigheid van u aborsie u gevoelens beïnvloed?

I had received some counselling from a worker with the british Pregnaancy Advisory Service prior to returning to Australia. She offered me great kindness, detailed infomration and a complete abscence of judgement. Returning to Australia, particulalry Queensalnd, to ahve the procedure down was a different story. The illegality of it under Queensland law did make me feel like I had to be very careful about who I told and how I told my story. It changed how the clinic recorded my reasons for ending the pregnancy, with them highlighting my concern that the anti-malarials I had been taking might have effected the fetus rather than the fact that I was sinlge and young and ill equiped to make a go of parenting. When only some sorts of abortions are deemed lawful it does alter how you tell your story and how you remember you story; it is like you have to let go of a little bit of your own truth.

Hoe het ander mense op u aborsie gereageer?

Mixed. My close frineds were all very supportive as was my Aunt and Mum and my brothers. My Dad struggled with it a bit and there were other family members who knew I could never tell. Although I had my abortion in Australia, I was in England when I found out about the pregnancy and was so ill with morning sickness that I struggled to spend any quality time with my grand father. This was sad for me because it was the last time I ever saw him.

I have 1 child

no religion