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.

i had an abortion in june. the guy who got me pregnant also got another girl pregnant (his girlfriend) who decided to keep it. i was sixteen, a junior in high school, and terrified.

thirty years ago i had an abortion and have no regrets. i was 30 years old, divorced and raising my four year old daughter. i was being responsible and using birth control (diaphram) and it failed. i was six weeks pregnant when i had the abortion, and it was the most difficult decision i've ever had to make.