i was 16 years old when i became pregnant by an emotionally abusive boyfriend. i knew that i could not take care of a child when i was still so young myself. i also knew that if i had the baby, i would be connected to this abusive man for the rest of my life.

after a lot of sleepless nights, i decided the best decision was to im世界杯2022亚洲预选赛b组 tely breakup with my boyfriend and have an abortion. the only person i told was my mom, who took me to the abortion clinic and then never spoke a word of that day again until about 8 years later. i kept the abortion a secret until i was in my senior year in college; i had always felt so ashamed even though it was something that i thought about often. although the decision to have an abortion was difficult and stressful, i know that it was absolutely the right choice. i would not be the successful, college-educated woman i am today had i had a child at 16 years old when i was not ready. i also know that talking about my decision and sharing my story is a great way to remove the stigma of having an abortion.