i was 29 years old and married for 2.5 years when i decided that i wanted to have a tubal ligation. we had no children but i suffered from bi-polar disorder, add, and agoraphobia. i was usually heavily medicated to control my symptoms and also had periods of time when i couldn’t function. my husband and i also struggled financially. i had to see a new gynecologist because i had recently moved to the area. she declined my request for a tubal ligation and said that i should use an iud that would be effective for 10 years. i reluctantly agreed. 6 weeks later i returned to have the iud checked…my body had partially expelled the device, rendering it useless. i took a pregnancy test that came back positive. after a few days my husband and i decided to stay pregnant. we told our families. i spent the upcoming weeks being very unsure but forging ahead because in my community that’s just what you did. i became very sick, i lost 25 lbs. between 4 doctors no one could tell me what medications were safe for the baby. i was also very close to losing my job because i was so ill. at 20 weeks i went home in tears and told my husband that i couldn’t continue the pregnancy. i terminated my pregnancy that week. i had to travel to maryland because pennsylvania does not allow anesthesia. i know i made the right decision because we lost our home 3 months later and i haven’t been able to work or care for myself properly for the last 2 years. with that said there would have been no way for me to properly care or provide for a child.