Jan 10 Jan 10 "Having an unwanted pregnancy is an overwhelming and emotionally draining experience." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.S. “Some people might say you are not responsible or that a real woman would find a way. The truth is that a real woman will assess her situation and consider every one involved in her situation and be strong enough to make a decision that she will be judged for and live with for the rest of her life regardless of which path she chooses.” Read more.
Dec 21 Dec 21 "Because I was able to have safe and legal abortions, I was able to have children when the time was right." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “By the time I was in my 20s, I was addicted to crack and heroin, and was essentially homeless, sleeping on friend’s couches and in vacant homes. During this time I had three abortions, which was exactly the right thing to do. I was desperate and irresponsible, but I knew enough to know I didn’t want to bring addicted babies into my crazy world.” Read more.
Dec 20 Dec 20 "The only shame I feel today is the shame of staying quiet publicly about my experience." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.S. “I am one of the lucky ones – I had access to abortion, I could afford them, and I knew I wouldn’t have to face any extreme consequences for my abortions. Many people are not as lucky, and I realized today that my silence has contributed to the culture war we are facing where so many of us just stay quiet.” Read more.
Dec 6 Dec 6 "I was 14 and had no business even thinking I was going to raise a kid with a 14 year old boy." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “Three years later, 17 and home from a year abroad, I started hanging out with a guy I grew up with. He had 2 kids already, the condom broke, and here I was again. Pregnant. No questions about it, I was not ready for this. It was my senior year of high school.” Read more.
Nov 29 Nov 29 "I've never been ashamed of having more than one abortion." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.S. “I like children, but am not sure I need to have one myself or on my own. I would maybe consider it if I was in the right relationship, but it is not an overwhelming need for me. My last abortion I was in a relationship, but it was unstable. I did not want to be tied for the rest of my life to a man that had that many issues.” Read more.
Oct 24 Oct 24 "Sometimes loving a baby means choosing not to bring it into chaos." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Utah, U.S. “I made the decision each time, but especially the third time, out of complete willingness to do what was best for the baby and also for myself. It still haunts me, daily, the sadness and regret, but the lists were so terribly unequalized. It was the right choice even though it wasn’t the easy choice.” Read more.
Oct 1 Oct 1 "It was what I had to do. It really wasn't that traumatic." ~ "Era lo que tenia que hacer. Realmente no fue tan traumática." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Dominican Republic, In Spanish & English “I was only 4.5 weeks along, but I had already been able to see the gestational sac. I was very anxious precisely because of the illegal situation in the country where I live (DR) and I was afraid that something would happen to me and everyone would find out and of course a complication. This is my third abortion, my second with misoprostol.” “Tenía solo 4.5 semanas, pero ya había podido ver el saco gestacional. Estuve muy ansiosa precisamente por la situación de ilegalidad en el país donde vivo (RD) y tenía miedo que algo me pasara y todos se enteraran y por supuesto una complicación. Es mi tercer aborto, el segundo con misoprostol.” Lee mas.
Aug 25 Aug 25 "I was seriously depressed realizing that this man wasn’t into actually committing to me or having a family." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “I left that person because he’d lied to me and didn’t want what I wanted in life. I’ve never regretted my decision as I was a hurt, lost person at that point in my life. And I watched my sister, who was a teen parent, struggle and fail. I never wanted that hard a life, especially for any child of mine.” Read more.
Aug 4 Aug 4 "Our relationship was bad, he was financially and otherwise irresponsible, and I felt I was too old to have a baby." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Slovenia “He wanted the child no matter what; he said it is his right. And yes, we did not use protection; he 'put it out'. He tried to cheat me several times by not putting it out. Yet, I still could not get away. I was addicted to his caressing; he could be so gentle with me, I wanted to believe he loved me. Until he one day did it again. I felt so cheated. A few days after, a neighbor told me he saw him kissing another neighbor. I was in a state of shock.” Read more.
Aug 1 Aug 1 "When I was 14 years old, my mom told me about her three abortions." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, One Abortion, Michigan, U.S. “It was almost 8 months ago when I told my mom I was pregnant, and it was February 7, 2021 when I decided on terminating it with a surgical abortion. It was still a tough choice, but the beauty in all of this was having a mom who not only told me about her choices, but who also supported me with whatever choice I made.” Read more.
Jun 3 Jun 3 "We are goddesses, we are powerful. May we never forget that." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Luxembourg “I know that something tells me it could maybe have developed and it wasn't given the chance, I don't know. It’s so confusing. Then another side of me believes, God took it away, so that it served its mission to teach me to look after me and to start again and achieve the type of love I really deserve in this world. I also feel so much love through this love. It is overwhelming.” Read more.
Jun 3 Jun 3 "I gave up babies I have cried for countless times so that I could have the one I was meant to have." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, New York “But here’s the thing that people who oppose abortions never understand. If we had decided to have that baby, there would have been many joys, but also many losses. I wouldn’t have gone to graduate school, wouldn’t have written books, wouldn’t have become a professor. I’m not at all sure our relationship would have survived it, either. But the single most important loss of all would have been the son I did have. If I had kept that baby we aborted, we would never have had the one I know and love. That is no small thing.” Read more.
May 29 May 29 "Till this day I still have a hard time forgiving myself, but I know it was for the best." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Later Abortion, California “I got pregnant at 19 and had my daughter the same month I turned 20. Her dad and I were really toxic. He’s a recovering alcoholic. Three months after I had my daughter, I found out I was pregnant again. I was terrified, and fought with myself about keeping it.” Read more.
May 6 May 6 "I feel guilty but I had no choice." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Kenya “Abortion is illegal here and this affected me and made me feel guilty. But I overcame this. It’s not me only —over a million ladies do this yearly. Obviously people can't tell you how they feel about you. But inside their minds they think— she is a whore and such.” Read more.
Apr 26 Apr 26 "We need to honor ourselves and trust our decisions." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Massachusetts “At age 35, my body was not handling the pregnancy well. My son, now 11, had a stable home and I had a good job. I knew my entire life that I had very strategically and carefully put together would possibly be knocked down like a tower in the game ‘Jenga.’” Read more.
Mar 13 Mar 13 "Friends and family know I had a baby when I was 24, but they don't know about my three other pregnancies." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Colorado, U.S. “Should I be punished for my choices in life? Why do the ‘pro-life’ groups believe that I should be taking care of 4 children with tax payer support?!?!? I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE what my life would be like if I was taking care of 4 KIDS!!! I can promise you that I would have MANY PEOPLE looking at me saying I was an insane mother for having 4 kids.” Read more.
Mar 7 Mar 7 "Trust your brain and your heart that they will collaborate." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Two Abortions, Netherlands, Audio In this brief segment of her abortion story, Monika shares about meeting two people in the clinic waiting room who calmed her nerves by sharing that they each had experienced more than one abortion. “This was very pleasant for me to be surrounded by these very strong women who trusted their bodies and showed me the normality of abortion. They obviously were way more mature and way more experienced and comfortable in their own bodies, so I was happy to see that as an example to follow.” Read more and listen.
Feb 27 Feb 27 "I'm very honest about having had multiple abortions and about regretting one." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Illinois, U.S. “It's complicated for me to talk about abortion. I'm fiercely pro choice but I've also had one abortion I regret. That’s difficult for a lot of people to understand. I feel adamant that the nuances and contradictions and gray areas surrounding abortion need to be discussed. I deserve to be pro abortion and also sometimes regretful. My whole story is worthy, even if it confuses people. Maybe especially because it does.” Read more.
Jan 19 Jan 19 "The thought of being pregnant with someone who doesn't love me was unthinkable." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.S. “I use family planning to monitor my cycle but in December 2019 I didn't do it correctly and became pregnant. I had an abortion in January, which I was so thankful for because I could barely eat or function to take care of myself or my kids, then 1.5 and 3. Then in June I find out my husband is cheating on me. It destroyed me. I pushed him away but I also was so lonely and wished it wasn't true, so we had sex and I wasn't monitoring. I became pregnant again.” Read more.
Jan 6 Jan 6 "These decisions are so personal, and so justified, no matter the reasons or circumstances." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Unknown “Fast forward 3 years, my then boyfriend, now husband and I had been married for 3 months, and conceived our beautiful baby boy, planned, and we were ready to parent. When our son was 8 months old, I fell pregnant again. Not ready, physically, emotionally (postpartum depression hit hard) or financially, we decided the most responsible decision for our family was to terminate the pregnancy. This, unknowingly, would cause even more stress on an already stressed marriage.” Read more.
