Zoe

Share your story

I had an abortion. It was a stressful time, I am glad it is all behind me. My friends were very supportive. I am left angry with society that forces women to feel shame, pain, and guilt, forces them into secrecy. How dare they torture women in such a way.

2014 United Kingdom

I wish there were a few more positive emotions to choose from. I feel mostly that I was forced to feel a certain way by internalised abortion stigma, an this leaves me so angry. After a little time I am was able to rid myself completely of all the negative, self blame feelings. I am now very open about my abortion, in that I would not lie about it or hide it were it to arise in a conversation in some way. Of course, sometimes, even with some friends, there is fear on how they will react, and annoyance that maybe, probably, internally they do judge you a little.

It was quick. I had to go to the hospital to get the pill that induces menstruation. I had to be there until the foetus came out and the nurse checked it. I understand that it is to make sure everything went well, but I was a horrible experience to go to the hospital and stay there in the cold room, bleeding incredibly, and then get home again weakened. I want abortion pills to be legally available for use at home. Give women some credit!

I just could not.

Did the illegality of your abortion affect your feelings?

It is only legal in my country until the 12th week, which I think is too short. The stigma is so strong that it forced me into secrecy, and only now that I am a little older (I was 20 at the time) I have absolutely no weird thoughts and am completely at peace with my experience. Well, not at peace, because I am left with this anger I described before. Stigmatisation is on the rise again, where right wing extremist control most media and propagate a message that equals abortion with murder, genocide and presents women as unreflected, one dimensional infants, mentally too limited to think about their actions. How dare they.

How did other people react to your abortion?

I only told one friend and my partner at the time, I was too ashamed to tell my family or close friends. This need to lie and isolation, disgusts me, why does it have to be this way? I only told most of them, my sister, and all close friends and new partner about it a year later. I was met with so much love and admiration for my strenght. I wish I had told them as soon as I knew I was pregnant, it would have helped me. But the fear to be judged was too deeply hammered into me.

YoungWoman from India

This website gave me the confidence that I could do it. It gave me all the…

Jamie

And I am so happy! I am so lucky that I had the choice to have an abortion! The…

Meri

The "choice" of medical termination is not accurate when it's used as a weapon…

Laura

Desde que confirmé el embarazo, pensé cómo podría llevar a cabo el aborto.

Won’t be named Won’t be named

I had an abortion a week after my twenty second birthday, I was five and a half…

Aga... ta...(?)

zastanawiam się jak to przeżycie i fakt co zrobiałam wpłynie na dalsze moje…

M C

Fiz um aborto de aproximadamente 4 semanas e tomei o cytotec que o amigo da…

Duda

Sendo lactante

Maree

It was sad but necessary

a.

Początek był raczej standardowy - spóźnił mi się okres, zrobiłam test ciążowy

Adhi

Saya masih duduk di kelas 3 SMA saat melakukan aborsi. Saya sudah pacaran…

Katarzyna

Nie mogłam mieć dziecka z kilku powodów: jeszcze się uczę, chłopak w ogóle nie…

Natalia

La decisión de abortar no es nada fácil, en realidad por mi mente deabundan…

Anna Cavalcante

Olá, o meu nome é Anna, eu fiquei grávida aos 18 anos, e devido à minha idade

Meg.

Your a strong women!

Uma Mulher

Pra mim, fazer um aborto foi um ato de responsabilidade

Bia

E no começo me arrependi mas vi que seria a melhor opção, e escrevendo meu…

Susie

I'M NOT SORRY.

Nathalia

Minha história começa com o sonho de cursar medicina no Brasil, o que é muito…

Paula Paula

Miałam aborcję... to była trudna decyzja, nigdy nie zapomnę...