“i grew up in a small town in michigan. the local family planning clinic wasn’t open on weekends and the nearest abortion provider was more than 50 miles away. i found out i was pregnant on mother’s day, 2000. i’d been afraid that was the case after a condom broke. the boy i’d been intimate with ditched me before i even found out for certain i was pregnant. i was 18, getting ready to graduate from high school and head off to college. i’d already been accepted to an out-of-state school on a full-ride for academic merit. my first semester at university would have been my last trimester. i didn’t want to be a mother. i didn’t feel like i could be both a student, away from home for the first time, and pregnant. faced with a choice, i chose my education. i chose a future as a college graduate instead of one as a single mom. scheduling my abortion felt like the first, real, adult decision i made for myself. it felt like taking control of my life, and committing to what i wanted for myself. i finished school. i moved out to the east coast from the midwest. i found my passion and built a career for myself working as a communications professional in the human services sector. i feel in love and married an amazing woman. i am proud of who i am and what i do. i wouldn’t have my education, my career, or my marriage if i hadn’t had my abortion.” – joy<\/p>\n
joy\u00a0was photographed as part of the 1 in 3 photography project. <\/span>see more photos and stories from the project.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n [aigpl-gallery id=”5132″]<\/p>\n