Jan 3 Jan 3 "It is normal to need more than one abortion." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “I immediately felt a rush of relief once I felt the pregnancy pass – there was no shame. No guilt. No “what have I done.” Just pure, unadulterated relief.” Read more.
Dec 27 Dec 27 "I always thought that getting pregnant was never something that would happen to me." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “I realized that my body didn’t ask me permission to get pregnant, it is no one’s fault, and in most if not all cases, it isn’t something that can be controlled. We are human, and we do the best that we can with the resources that we have. In hindsight, I recognize that having an abortion was the best option for me, even if it felt like the only option at the time.” Read more.
Dec 21 Dec 21 "I just don’t feel ready, not one bit." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Florida, U.S. “I had my first abortion at 20 years old. I told myself that if I ever got pregnant again I will not get another abortion. I didn’t think I would get pregnant this time around, it’s something that I wasn’t even thinking of.” Read more.
Dec 6 Dec 6 "Sometimes we feel guilty about not feeling guilty, because it is what we have been told to feel." ~ "A veces sentimos culpa de no sentir culpa, porque es lo que nos han dicho que debemos sentir." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Ecuador, Spanish/English “I believe that women who abort more than once are women who are grateful to ourselves for being able to decide on our body as often and at the times we deem necessary.” Read more.”Creo que las mujeres que abortamos más de una vez somos mujeres que estamos agradecidas con nosotras mismas por poder decidir sobre nuestro cuerpo las veces y en los momentos que creamos necesarios.” Lee mas.
Nov 21 Nov 21 "I thought I would end up being one more mother pretending to be happy." ~ "Pensé que terminaría siendo una madre más fingiendo ser feliz". Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Mexico, In Spanish & English, Later Abortions “I tried to get used to the idea of having it, and in a moment of madness I told everyone. I called it good news. That same night I regretted saying it because I really didn't want it and neither did their support make me change my mind.” Read more.“Traté de acostumbrarme a la idea de tenerlo, y en un momento de locura se lo conté a todos. Lo llamé buenas noticias. Esa misma noche lamenté haberlo dicho porque realmente no lo quería y tampoco su apoyo me hizo cambiar de opinión ”. Lee mas.
Nov 3 Nov 3 "I didn't want a pregnancy at 16 to be a deciding factor for my future." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, South Africa “With the first, I was too emotional and felt guilty for taking a life, but grew to understand my decisions. The second one I was 24 and I honestly had a lot going on my life from financial depression to just life in general and I didn't want to add more to my plate.” Read more.
Oct 8 Oct 8 "I have never written about my abortions before." ~ Journalist Mona Eltahawy Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Egypt, U.S. “Why couldn’t I, Mona Eltahawy, a woman born in Egypt to a Muslim family, write an essay under my own name, in which I say openly and without shame that I have had two abortions, that I am glad I had those two abortions and that had I become pregnant again I would have had another abortion because I did not want to have children? Why have I been able to risk my safety and my life by writing articles about a military-backed regime but I could not write about my abortions?” Read more.
Sep 25 Sep 25 "I’m trying to let go of a bit of the guilt I feel from this being my second procedure." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.S. “I found out I was pregnant about 2.5 weeks ago. I had a complete meltdown and was conflicted on what I wanted to do. For a while I was 50/50 — primarily because I felt guilt because if I decided to terminate this would be my second termination, and I felt so much guilt/shame over that. My last termination was a very long time ago, 10 years or so and I was super young and didn’t think twice about terminating.” Read more.
Sep 16 Sep 16 "I’m so glad I trusted my brain, my body and my heart." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Oregon, U.S. “I found out I was pregnant again when she was 7 months old and knew I wasn’t ready for another baby. It felt so selfish to give my daughter a sibling so young. I just want her to grow up and be the main focus for a while. I ordered the abortion pills and tried to prepare myself while waiting for them to arrive. Once they arrived I was so scared and just bawled my eyes out thinking about how terrible of a person I was to be doing this.” Read more.
Sep 12 Sep 12 "This allowed me to look at abortion as a blessing for me, a chance to break many generational traumas." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “At 15 I got pregnant. I did not want to carry the stereotype that most Latina women have of having children very young. At 22 I got pregnant for the second time. With no full time job and being a first-year masters student, I knew that having a baby was not in the plans. I thought I was supposed to feel guilty –otherwise I feared being perceived as a bad person if I felt relieved from having an abortion.” Read more.
Sep 8 Sep 8 "I started crying as I didn’t want to be pregnant and I told them I wanted to end it in any possible way. " Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Palestine “Because of the health risks of this pregnancy, I was able to reach a doctor who was able to help me with information about pills that ended the pregnancy. I was then referred to the government hospital to get a sterilization operation. It took an entire year to get a date for the operation but when it came to the day, the anaesthetist refused to treat me.” Read more.
Sep 5 Sep 5 Podcast ~ "As a 16-year-old I kept hoping it would just go away." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, New Jersey, New York, Audio Listen to this episode of the Abortion Diary to hear what it was like to get an abortion before Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973. Judi M. tells of getting pregnant after a rape at 16 and then going to an apartment for an illegal abortion. Her frightening experience led her into a career in reproductive health. Her descriptions of anti-abortion protesters reveal how little has changed since her 2nd abortion in 1978. Listen.
Aug 31 Aug 31 "I regret not having that abortion." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Missouri, U.S. “Choosing to end my third pregnancy was challenging, probably more emotional than the first, but I had no doubts that I was doing the right thing. I wasn't on that roller coast of emotions for this abortion, and it comes down to me already having an abortion and me having a busier life. I was at a baby shower for a friend of mine a week after and I had no problems looking at her and no problems talking about babies. I knew that day that I was never going to regret the choice I made.” Read more.
Aug 21 Aug 21 "I had no opportunity other than if I kept my baby I would be homeless." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.K. “I felt so happy and proud to be pregnant, even though throughout my time with my boyfriend I did have doubts about my relationship with him. He would do things regularly to upset me and there was things that would get on my nerves that he’d do, but I just accepted that I was pregnant and this would be the man I’d be with whether I’m certain about him or not.” Read more.
Aug 19 Aug 19 "Things are going to be so much easier now that we don't have to take care of a fourth child." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Ohio, U.S. “My first abortion was when I was 20 years old. That abortion gave me a college degree, a career, a place to live, a wonderful husband, and three beautiful children. My second abortion was last week. I'm 33 years old, I love the life I live, and I didn't want to start over. What I do regret, and what I probably always will regret, is not telling my husband. I never told him about my first one, and my husband is on the edge of ‘pro-life’ and I knew he would say no to this.” Read more.
Aug 14 Aug 14 "I was so blinded by the love I had for him that I couldn’t see he didn’t love me or that I deserved better." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “I was pro-choice, but if I was to ever get pregnant I told myself I’d always keep it. However, it’s easier said than done, especially when I know in my heart I can’t give my baby the life it deserves. I ended up terminating the second baby as well and I made a promise with myself that I’d never make any promises.” Read more.
Jul 27 Jul 27 "I am proud of choosing not to have a child when it would have been wrong for everyone." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “I'm not only peaceful with my decisions but in fact I'm proud of them. Both times, it was the best thing for all concerned. I have no negative feelings about it whatsoever. No woman should be forced to do anything with her body that she doesn't choose and I'm grateful that I wasn't put through that.” Read more.
Jul 24 Jul 24 "If you have goals and dreams, remember that you have the power to decide." ~ "Si tienes metas o sueños, recuerda que tienes el poder de decidir". Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Ecuador, Illegal, In Spanish & English “This was my second abortion. Unlike the first, my heart is sad because I do not doubt my partner, how much we love each other, but precisely for that reason we decided to postpone our paternity and fulfill the goals we have and the dreams in which we are still only two :)” Read more.“Este fue mi segundo aborto. A diferencia del primero, mi corazón está triste porque no dudo de mi pareja, de lo mucho que nos amamos, pero precisamente por eso decidimos posponer nuestra paternidad y cumplir las metas que tenemos y los sueños en los que aún somos solo dos. :)" Lee mas.
Jun 23 Jun 23 "I am crazy about my children but I wasn’t willing to be a mother again." ~ "Eu sou louca pelos meus filhos, mas não estava disposta a ser mãe de novo." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Illegal, Brazil, Portuguese/English “We were super broke, there wasn’t even enough money to go to the cinema. There were also complications in my previous pregnancies and my life was at risk. But still, that’s not why I had the abortions. I had them because I didn’t want to have another baby.” Read more.“A gente estava super apertado, sem grana suficiente nem pra ir ao cinema, não tinha mesmo! As minhas gravidezes também foram complicadas, eu corria risco de vida. Mesmo assim, não foi por isso que eu fiz os abortos. Eu fiz, porque eu não queria ter outro filho!” Continue lendo.
Jun 16 Jun 16 "After a week, I felt relieved and at peace." ~ „Po tygodniu poczułem ulgę i spokój”. Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Poland, Polish/English “I had my first abortion at the doctor's office. Basically I don't remember anything. What was left in my head was that I was bleeding a lot. There was no pain, no fear. My second abortion, when it comes to pharmaceuticals, I was terribly afraid! There are no words to describe it. I was left alone with this. The partner paid for the tablets and fell silent.” Read more.„Miałam pierwszą aborcję w gabinecie lekarskim. W zasadzie nic nie pamiętam. W mojej głowie pozostało to, że dużo krwawiłem. Nie było bólu ani strachu. Moja druga aborcja, jeśli chodzi o farmaceutyki, strasznie się bałam! Nie ma słów, żeby to opisać. Zostałem z tym sam. Partner zapłacił za tabletki i zamilkł”. Czytaj więcej.
