i am a new person now, much stronger and wiser. i don't feel like i would have been able to do this, or to keep going, if i had been such a young mother in such a bad situation.

i was completely heartbroken and had no idea what to do. i never imagined having an abortion let alone getting pregnant so young. but ultimately that was my decision.

i have submitted this story to shed light on something that we all know to be true but sometimes others forget: a woman’s right to carry her pregnancy to term or have an abortion is the sole right of that woman, something she shouldn’t be pressured about.

unable to imagine having a child (who was likely conceived while there were still drugs in my system) at that age, while being under-employed, living with roommates, and unable to tell my family about the drugs or the baby, we choose to terminate the pregnancy.

a few of my friends have been there for me, but if you haven't gone through it, it's hard to relate. i'm on the road to making peace about what i decided to do - but reading the other stories and realizing i am not the only one who has gone through this helps immensely.

why would i choose to expose a child to such a toxic relationship? he was emotionally abusive and i wanted a better life for myself than that. so i left him. i refuse to allow others to make me feel guilty for making this decision. six years have passed and i've never been happier.