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All in Four Abortions
“The abortion was a quick, painful experience and I remember being angry to see that my boyfriend had left the waiting room to go to McDonald's while I was having the abortion. It was raining that day and we drove to a house of a friend and I chilled out for the day. I felt angry at my boyfriend for not having to suffer. I felt sad but not exactly because of the loss of pregnancy. In retrospect, the fact that the experience was unprepared for, unprocessed, and unsupported made it so much harder than it needed to be.”
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“My first was in New York in the early ’90s, when I was 24, at a clinic. It took a whole day, during which I was herded around to a series of freezing rooms with a fairly large group of women — maybe 15 of us — in these absurdly short robes they’d given us to wear. When sitting or walking, I had to hold mine down with two hands. “Yes, Miss, please, how do we get this thing to cover our hoo-has?” one of the women in my group shouted out to one of our handlers. As they put me under — abortions accompanied by general anesthesia are called “twilight” — I was still giggling about the hoo-ha joke.”
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“Why? Because I don’t want to continue the pregnancy. Because I was not ready. Because I don’t want to give birth to children I was not ready to have. Because I want to plan my pregnancy. Because my children in the future deserve to be born wanted and loved unconditionally. “ Click the green title to read more.
“After my second abortion the abuse got worse. I knew I was going to die or either he was. I finally ended my dangerous affair and for 4 years I was single. It was refreshing. I gained my self worth and independence back but eventually I became lonely again.” Click the green title to read more.
“The last one made my world a little different. I had wanted more children at some point. My daughter was 7 and I didn't want a large age gap between them. My partner and I at the time hadn't been together long enough to feel secure in raising a child.”
“My first abortion was at the age of 20. I was dating a man (that didn't give me enough attention), a drug dealer and was raped by the drug dealer’s friend. A few weeks later when I went to report the rape, they told me I was pregnant. I was disgusted with myself. I had no idea whose child it was-except mine. I had a surgical abortion.” Click the green title to read more.
“My way of living and being had essentially become self-destructive. Abuse can make a different person out of you. A person that even you yourself fail to recognise. After undergoing three abortions in a very short span, my relation with Rahul was spiraling downhill. But it was not before my fourth abortion that I fought myself out of my abusive relationship.” Click the green title to read more.
Elizabeth says she envies the ‘free rhetorical space’ in the anti-abortion movement, where people who’ve had multiple abortions can talk openly about their experiences, as long as they frame their stories to punish other people who’ve had abortions.
“I was using a form of birth control each time I conceived, so I wasn't irresponsible, just unlucky. I have an unbelievable amount of guilt from these abortions, but I know I made the right decision.” Click the green title to read more.
“Casting off the cloak of shame demands being straightforward about abortion. So, I have decided to push aside my unease and tell my story. To be clear: I don’t think I should have to justify having recreational sex, using birth control, or getting an abortion. I am not sharing my story because I feel the need to explain myself. I’m doing so because I believe “I want an abortion,” is a complete statement.” Click the green title to read more.
