Paula

Share your story

i had an abortion

2010 United States

I had the easiest and most gentle abortion that I think is possible. I had financing from the state, compassionate and well-trained doctor and nurses, a freaked-out but well-meaning guy (we weren't together, just friends who had sex a few times), a soft bed to return home to, pain medication, ice cream, etc. Even with all of that, I still had some serious emotions to go through. NOT because I had any doubts as to whether or not I made the right decision. I have no regrets, and when I was just thinking about me and the little shrimp-sized embryo growing inside of me, I felt completely at peace with the idea that I'd be ending its development. I also felt sad, but not ... wrong. It was the right decision. It was my decision. I had to mourn some for unrealized possibilities. That's what an embryo is - a possibility. But I felt then, and I don't think I was mistaken, that a full pregnancy and childbirth would have broken me, whether or not I ended up keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption. Either situation would have simply broken me as a person. It was not a good time in my life. But the world being what it is, I felt everyone's eyes upon. I thought they would know what I was doing, that they would judge or yell or hit me or who knows what. And this is me in my little safe bubble of a (relatively) sexually liberated city in a (relatively) progressive state. I can't even imagine what so many of you have to deal with, and I wish I could make it easier for you. I wish I could make it okay. I hope you are all okay inside at least. At least you know you aren't alone, right? Alone in my home after the abortion, I thought about my life, and how I am able to make choices, to take responsibility for my own actions, to determine (to a certain extent) the type of life I'm going to lead. Getting pregnant, and then getting an abortion, made me a better person. I'm not going to fuck around anymore. I want to have kids. I'm on the road to getting ready. If I were to have an unplanned pregnancy now (the likelihood of which is verrry slim, but you can bet I'll never again assume anything works 100% of the time!), my decision regarding whether or not to abort might be different. I'm so very, very grateful that the decision will be mine to make, whenever it may come again. Thank you so much, women (and men!) of the world who fight for us all.

As smooth as can be expected. Really. It hurt, and I bled, but with pain medication (I think it was just extra-strength Ibuprofen) and hot tea, it wasn't terrible. The worst was over by the next morning. Then I had some mild cramping and some more light-medium bleeding, but not bad at all. No fever, no nausea, etc.

How did other people react to your abortion?

with compassion

Ka

O dono do meu corpo e do meu destino sou eu, e não a sociedade hipócrita e…

Emily

10 years ago, at age 32, I had an abortion. The pregnancy was unplanned and I…

Luna

Fiz um aborto - E foi a melhor decisão que eu podia ter tomado para a minha…

Won’t be named Won’t be named

I had an abortion a week after my twenty second birthday, I was five and a half…

Freedom77

I was lucky enough to be able to have an NHS surgical termination at 8 weeks.

Grace Grace

Y no existe arrepentimiento.

Bree

It was the right decision just hard than i thought it would to deal with

Bee

I felt very guilty but relieved . I was way too young to be a mother.

Machilla

“I had an abortion” will appear automatically, but please feel free to change…

Jessi

No olvidemos, que nos haga crecer

Pam

No había otra opción.

Jéssica

RELATO DE UM ABORTO BEM SUCEDIDO DE UMA MULHER SEM NOME:
Nunca pensei que…

mary cry

pior momento de minha vida

Vanessa

yo conoci a los 14 años a un vigilante que trabajaba donde mi mama el era super…

Andrea

And it was just fine. I had just turned 20, and was living in a rented room in…

Jess

I had two...it was not a hard decision, and I'm glad I did it. Now, I'm a…

C. Ferreira

Pior dia da minha vida

Renata

Calma, eu sei seu desespero. VAI DAR TUDO CERTO! #FORÇA

Dawn & Kevin

I had two abortions