Marie

I had an abortion. It's a choice I want available for every woman, for whatever reason they feel, because it's our bodies and our lives.

2007 United States (born in United States)

comfortable peaceful resolved numb relieved sure

The second I saw the double line on the pregnancy test, I was on the internet researching my abortion options. There was never a doubt in my mind, and I am completely unapologetic for it. In this world full of starving, abused, unloved, uneducated, or unwanted children, I could never in good conscience contribute to the problem. I don't feel there is anything that should make a woman who chooses an abortion to feel guilty, ashamed or selfish.

in a clinic or hospital with surgery

Honestly, it was kind of surreal. I figured out I was pregnant nearly instantly, so the pregnancy was mere weeks along. When I was forced to endure a vaginal ultrasound and see the images, I was able to just see a cluster of cells. With the anesthesia, everything happened in a blink. I didn't really have any pain at all afterward, just some weirdness from the anesthesia. I chose the surgical abortion because I didn't want to risk an incomplete abortion with pills that would require surgical follow up.

financial issues my education my personal reasons for not wanting a child

I had never planned on having children in the first place. When I got pregnant, I had just bought a house and money was incredibly tight. I was going to school full-time AND working full-time. I had been with my boyfriend for just a few months, and we had a birth control failure. I was so unprepared to have a child and in the middle of working so hard to develop my education, career, and financial future. A child would have literally ruined all of that for me, in addition to keeping me tied to a man I would not have considered marrying for the rest of our lives.

Did the illegality of your abortion affect your feelings?

It made the situation easier in that I was able to handle my pregnancy the way I chose without risking my health, safety, or anything else. I'm not sure what I could have done if I could not safely, easily, and legally access abortion, which is why I will always do everything I can to help support that right for women everywhere.

How did other people react to your abortion?

I did not tell a lot of people. A few friends were very judgmental, which made the situation even more uncomfortable. My boyfriend at the time was as relieved as I was to have the choice that allowed both of us to continue our lives the way we wanted to. I think the situation turned him into a bit of a feminist, once he understood that the situations where abortions are considered are not black-and-white and easy.

i have no children

Christianity

no religion