i had an abortion when i was 18. i had been feeling nauseated for a few days. my friend stood with me while i watched the test develop two pink lines. on the drive home we talked a little about abortion but i just wasn’t sure.

i told my boyfriend that i was pregnant and he begged me to get the abortion. he feared his parents response and honestly, so did i. he took me to planned parenthood and i scheduled the procedure. i wasn’t scared or nervous, i just wanted to get it over with.

the clinic was very nice, clean, and well staffed. everyone made me feel safe. the doctor briefly explained the procedure but i told him i didn’t want to know. the whole thing took about ten minutes. i went to the recovery room and rested for maybe an hour.

when i got home i remember crying myself to sleep. i was so full of emotion, but regret was not one of them.

that boyfriend and i didn’t work out but i have never had negative feelings towards him. now ten years later i am happily married to a man that accepts all my flaws and has never judged me.

i have since been diagnosed with cervical incompetency and am unable to maintain a pregnancy past 22 weeks (i have had two horribly heartbreaking miscarriages). i questioned my doctors about my previous abortion being the cause of my new found problem but they assure me that they are not related.

sometimes i wonder what it would be like if i hadn’t had the abortion. but i know in the long run i made the right decision.

my husband and i are looking into adoption at this point. i can raise a child for someone who could not make the same choice as me. everyone deserves the option of freedom. and if abortion is your freedom, i support you.