i was seventeen when i had an abortion. i am white, middle class and educated. instead of being open and talking to me about sex and allowing me to go on birth control, my parents simply expected me to not have sex and also never brought it up.

in my second year of college, when i was 18 years old, i was very sexually inexperienced. i had only ever kissed a couple of guys in high school, and nothing more than that. i also had a very low self-esteem, as i felt i was not attractive at all, and my inability to date furthered this belief. by my second year of college, i had pretty much shut down emotionally.

it's finals week for my first semester of grad school, and i had my first abortion yesterday - on my first anniversary with my boyfriend. the past 48 hours have been a blur, though more out of stress for finals than for the decision i made. there was never any question about that.

my husband and i have 3 daughters, current ages 10, 14, and almost 18. when the youngest was only 5 months old i discovered i was pregnant again. the baby was supposed to be our last.

i was 20 at the time i found out that i was pregnant. for weeks in december, i felt incredibly hungry, my lower back was in searing pain a majority of the time, and my pelvic bones physically felt like they were stretching out and growing. i disregarded it as growing pains since i was still young.

i am 23 years old. i had my abortion in may of this year. i have never wanted children. i have never wanted to carry a thing inside of me that is not part of me. the very thought chills me to the bone.