Dec 10 Dec 10 "He really did a number on me emotionally, and I was terrified of ever having another child because of it." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. “I lost custody of my child for a year even after I worked my way off of public assistance! My child’s father dragged me through a custody battle and raked me over the coals as public assistance made it hard to stay in one place. Not dealing with the emotional abuse caused me to fear having another child and then having the baby taken away.” Read more.
Nov 27 Nov 27 "I was not going to have a child with someone I didn’t even like." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Location Not Given “I never felt the guilt people claim you should feel with the first three abortions. I kind of do now, but I really think it is more about my age and probably the realization that my boyfriend and I are really not on the same page after all this time. I just want people to realize that whatever your reason is, it is always a good reason for you!! And that you might have a completely different reason from one time to the next.” Read more.
Nov 5 Nov 5 "I just wasn’t ready for the trauma and abuse that man could bring to our lives." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Later Abortion, Location Not Given "My tubes are gone now so I’ll never worry about this again but I look back with sorrow sometimes and I think of my decisions often in today’s world. If I hadn’t chosen abortion or had the right to choose, my son wouldn’t be here. And I don’t know what kind of parent I would have been had at those times of my life. Ultimately I wanted to be the best parent I could. When the time is right, YOU KNOW IT. And when it’s not, you know it too. Trust your heart.” Read more.
Jul 4 Jul 4 "It’s such a personal choice for mostly the woman but for the man as well." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. “I’m a male who’s been through four abortions with two different women.” Read more.
Jun 8 Jun 8 "My experience with self-managed abortion allowed me to make the best decision for my body and my future on my own terms." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. My abortion journey began early in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and was punctuated by four pregnancies that I decided to terminate. I discovered my first pregnancy in March 2020 as a 19-year-old college sophomore in Ohio. I was determined to get an abortion, but bureaucratic hurdles like navigating a maze of waiting periods and clinic closures thwarted my attempts. But with the support of Abortion Fund of Ohio and an appointment I booked “just in case” at a local independent clinic, I got the abortion I wanted. Read more.
Apr 10 Apr 10 "Until recently, I shared a 'preferred version' of my abortion story." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. “I shared one that I felt was more palatable, and socially acceptable. Specifically, that I had had one abortion in my early twenties, within a long-term relationship, while I was pursuing my first degree. I am now learning to embrace the messy edges of my story and challenge the heteropatriarchal narrative that there are “acceptable” abortion stories.” Read more.
Feb 16 Feb 16 "It was this situation that showed me how important it was to me to be in a safe and loving relationship before bringing a baby into the world." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Scotland “I felt immense pressure to continue the pregnancy even though it terrified me in every sense. The feeling of utter dread and fear stopped me from leaving the house for 2 weeks. I knew then that the decision had to be made. And it had to be made by me for me, no one else.” Read more.
Jan 14 Jan 14 "I have a feeling that we will break up and I don't wanna be a single parent again." Sharing Truth Five Abortions, South Africa “Last year I had a 4th pregnancy — the guy I was dating was abusive and he told me to terminate it and he even blocked me, so I had an abortion. This year I am dating this guy, he is nice. He is happy about me being pregnant, but I am not where I wanna be in life.” Read more.
Dec 9 Dec 9 "I will never regret my abortions because they made me a better mother." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Location Not Given “My parents didn’t teach me how to be responsible, so I knew there was no way I could take care of a child, until I was ready. Some days I think of what my child(ren) would’ve looked like and how messed up our situation would’ve been had I gone through with the pregnancies. Coming from a broken and dysfunctional family, I never wanted that for my child(ren). “ Read more.
May 19 May 19 "Accidental pregnancies are way more common than spoken about." ~ 20 people share stories in one Reddit thread. Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Three Abortions, Four Abortions, Five Abortions, Six Abortions, Multiple Abortions A person asks, “Has anyone had more than one abortion” in a Reddit forum — and a flood of people respond, sharing their own experiences of more than one accidental or unhealthy pregnancy, and assuring that it’s common and that there is no need to feel shame or fear judgment. Read more.
May 12 May 12 "The only shame I have ever felt about my abortions has been social—never personal or spiritual." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Indiana, Michigan “I AM PRO-ABORTION because I think critically enough to understand pregnancy (*resulting from consensual s•x) as an act of both free will and fate; and the decisions we make about any and all pregnancies that happen to us are acts of self-governing discretion as much as they are acts of God.” Read more.
Apr 16 Apr 16 "I tried all kinds of contraception, some didn’t work, some made me low in mood." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Location Not Given “At school we were shown images of aborted babies as a way of scaring us. The Catholic Church is very much against abortion. Where I live now I was met with respect and no judgement from the the health providers when I went to seek abortion. It’s my secret what I’ve been through, but I don’t regret those decisions.” Read more.
Jan 23 Jan 23 "My great-grandmother gave birth to eight children and aborted four." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Four Abortions, U.S. “The excessive burden of motherhood my great-grandmother carried had plenty of heart-breaking legacy for us all.”The New York Times ran an article detailing stories of people who had abortions before it was legalized by the now endangered Roe v Wade ruling. Among the comments to the article are these four stories involving people who’ve had more than one abortion. Read more.
Nov 13 Nov 13 "I had this feeling that I wasn’t ready for another baby." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Location Not Given “My boyfriend supported me, even though he did not want me to have an abortion. I thought long and hard about what my boyfriend felt, then decided to listen to what I wanted. It’s your body and when it comes down to it, it’s your life that will be affected more than your girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s.” Read more.
Oct 5 Oct 5 "I would’ve tried anything to terminate them on my own." Sharing Truth Four-plus Abortions, U.S., Multiple Abortions “As someone who cannot take birth control & almost died from an IUD implantation, the 4+ abortions were after I had both of my children. I can’t express how much relief I had felt that I had the options available when I needed them and I honestly don’t know if I would still be here today without them.” Read more.
Jul 11 Jul 11 "I have been punishing myself for 21 years for no reason." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Virginia, U.S. “All of my abortions were difficult choices, but all of them were worth it in the long run. I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her that having an abortion is the perfect choice and that the road ahead will be a million times better.” Read more.
May 11 May 11 "My son and I both lost our father, and I want to be very sure that my next child’s father will be my husband and support us." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Indiana “I’m disappointed in myself because I thought I can do this. I thought I could give my 8 year old son a sibling. He recently lost his father Dec. 18 to gun violence, just like I lost my father. My depression from losing my father consumed me. I knew a new baby would be good for him, but now that my boyfriend and I are going on 2 years, I’m not ready for this commitment.” Read more.
Feb 20 Feb 20 "They are decisions that you make according to the situation you live in that moment." ~ "Son desiciones que una toma de acuerdo a la situacion que vive en ese momento." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Cuba, U.S., In Spanish & English “In Cuba, abortion is something natural, so to speak. It is free and all have access. My first abortion was at 16. I was studying and I got very sick with dizziness and other symptoms that were horrible. I had a relationship with a fool and my family decided that I should have an abortion and it was not my decision. Then at 21 I had my son. The most precious gift that God has given me.” Read more.“En Cuba, el aborto es algo natural, por así decirlo. Es gratis y todos tienen acceso. Mi primer aborto fue a los 16 años. Estaba estudiando y me enfermé mucho con mareos y otros síntomas que eran horribles. Tuve una relación con un tonto y mi familia decidió que debía abortar y no fue mi decisión. Luego, a los 21 tuve a mi hijo. El regalo más precioso que Dios me ha dado ". Leer más."
Feb 9 Feb 9 "I went on to have two beautiful daughters and I am a great mom." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. “I did the pill abortion 4 different times. Not much pain, just period cramps and bleeding. I’ve done it at 4 weeks up to 10 weeks. I am not ashamed or in regret.” Read more.
Jul 23 Jul 23 "My life is mine to dictate and I’m grateful that having access to abortion services has allowed me to do this." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, New York, U.S. “I remember reading only one story about a woman who had a medical abortion saying that if she had a positive experience she would share it and so that’s what I’ve decided to do. I’m sharing my story to let others know that it’s okay if you’re not ready to or don’t want to have a child. I’m sharing my story to let others know that a medical abortion for me was not as scary or painful as these other stories I had read about. I’m sharing my story to let others know that they are not alone in having more than one abortion.” Read more.
