i had just begun seeing someone the day before i realized i was pregnant, and i knew that the man that fathered this child was my verbally abusive, manipulative ex boyfriend.

i knew that when i saw the symbol on the pregnancy test and collapsed to the floor crying, this was not how i wanted to start a family.

i am a type one, insulin dependent diabetic and have been since childhood. at the age of 17, none of my doctors felt comfortable putting me on more hormone therapy on top of the synthetic insulin i need to live. not surprisingly, less effective methods ended up being just that

unwanted abortion began with unwanted sex while i was incapacitated after a bike accident.

i really had no discussion with my boyfriend. i was like "the test came back and this is what we are doing." i didn't tell my mother. i couldn't have faced it, there would have been no talk of abortion from my mom.

i stand by my decision, and i stand by all of the women in the us who deserve the right to make their own decisions about their bodies.