This story is published at My Abortion, My Life.
Never wanted children, but had healthy, heterosexual relationships. Was a great pill taker; then my gyn told me women need to 'give their bodies a break,' that I shouldn't stay on the pill for a long time, and took me off it. My (monogamous) partner and I used condoms, but obviously not successfully. Discovered I was pregnant after I had left him and quit my job to return to college.
The judgmental will say I'm cold or heartless, but abortion was an easy decision for me -- I knew I didn't want children and was certainly in no position to have/raise one now even if I did AND I had been raised to believe that women are smart, moral creatures who have both the capacity and the responsibility to make such decisions.
I was treated kindly and well for my abortion. Went back on the pill until I had to discontinue it when I was 35 and still smoked. Got a diaphragm. And my second unplanned pregnancy at 38. Still clear that I didn't want to have a child and having made sure my (monogamous) partner understood that before we ever began sexual relations, I had my second abortion. Again, I was treated kindly and well.
I remain healthy, happy, and grateful that I had the right to control my own life. It is unthinkable to me that millions of women are not able, or soon will be unable, to control their own lives, are not considered intelligent enough or moral enough to be entrusted with the work that is our birthright, are so devalued as to be worth killing in the name of ideology.
~ Heather
@BlessTheMessy