i was a recent graduate and new to living in the usa. my boyfriend was catholic and we had been using the natural method of contraception. it didn’t work.

i realized i had to decide whether i wanted to start a family and marry him or have an abortion. i chose to have an abortion and we split up. it was a day procedure and i was conscious throughout. afterwards they wheeled me into a shared room where rows of young women recovered from the procedure. no privacy. no support. then i was sent home which at the time was a hostel in the city and i shared a room with three other women. i walked home to save money from a taxi fare. i regret that.