Oct 2 Oct 2 "I ended up making the decision to terminate a wanted pregnancy after my relationship with the father turned abusive. " Sharing Truth 2nd Trimester, 25 weeks, U.S. “I was 25 weeks and 4 days. I went to the most amazing clinic with the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. They took great care of me, and helped ensure the physical pain wasn’t bad so that I could handle the emotional pain I experienced.” Read more.
Jul 14 Jul 14 "We have to trust our instincts were correct." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 20 Weeks, U.S. “But the point in having kids is to try and create the kindest version of these little humans, love them, guide them, and we felt we just weren’t ready to do that and that’s ok. Because it’s a huge responsibility.” Read more.
May 18 May 18 "It was a very brave example of me choosing long-term freedom over long-term suffering." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 16 Weeks “There’s just no way of speaking honestly about this experience without acknowledging — Yes, I believe I ended a life. Yes, I believe that was the most generous and responsible choice that I could make under those circumstances. Yes, I am devastated by what I lost. Yes, I am grateful every day for this life of freedom and agency that I gained.” Read more.
Apr 25 Apr 25 "I didn’t know I was pregnant. I was shocked to my core." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 19 weeks “I’m unmarried — which in the religion I practise in is a major thing. I am a 22-year-old Muslim girl and the worst thing I could dream of, happened to me. Yes I was conscious in the choices I made with my partner but I didn’t think this would happen. I called up the healthcare option available in my country and was able to secure a D&E appointment within a week. I travelled to another city to have the procedure. I was alone and no one with me to hold my hand.” Read more.
Dec 1 Dec 1 "I went back and forth with my decision for weeks." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 17 Weeks “The doctor and the nurse inside the room were so patient with me and so nice. They lit essential oils and rubbed my head and my arms to relax me and really tried to comfort me the best they could. Honestly, if it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go through with it. Once they got me to calm down enough, they administered the sedation medicine and that’s the last thing i remember.” Read more.
Nov 9 Nov 9 "I thank God that we didn't have a baby that forced us to live a life we didn't want." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 and 16 weeks “I went through a second trimester abortion knowing that I would NEVER do that again, but eleven years later and I ended up doing the exact same thing, and yet I don't regret either one of them. I am thankful I had the choice, and I hope all women will always have that same choice.” Read more.
Oct 14 Oct 14 "I ended my pregnancy because I wanted to protect the wellbeing of my baby from this man." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 14 Weeks “The first thing he said to me after we found out was, “I’ll need to know everyone you’re seeing from now on.” It became very clear, very quickly that this wasn’t about having a baby for him. It was about having control over my life. He then admitted to a number of things he felt I should know. The less complex included the other women he had been seeing during our relationship and had relentlessly lied about. He cheats on everyone, so this wasn’t a shock. But then he told me about his past arrest for sexual assault.” Read more.
Sep 22 Sep 22 "The tech said, 'You're further along than we thought.' I was in shock." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 14 Weeks “Three weeks went by and I decided to buy a pregnancy test on Amazon. I woke up early on a Sunday morning to take it. I was shaking as I opened the package. I peed on the stick and WHAM. It took about one second to read POSITIVE. I realized then that I was SUPER pregnant. I knew instantly the path I wanted to take and I started researching abortions online.” Read more.
Aug 22 Aug 22 "I regret letting people manipulate me." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 22 Weeks “Days went by and I was so depressed. I turned to my best friend not knowing she was against it. She told her older sister who sent me fake horrifying pics of aborted babies. I turned to my mom. She said she was gonna stop talking to me if I ever think about abortion. I turned to one of my coworkers hoping I would get a different response from her, she gave me a speech. Soon after the guy’s family started calling me congratulating me since he had told them. I cried and cried my family found out. Everyone wanted this. Except for me.” Read more.
Aug 11 Aug 11 "I did this out of pure love. I couldn't provide a good life." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 22 Weeks “I did a ton of research and panicked seeing that some women get pregnant on the pill and don’t find out for a while. I was paralyzed with fear. I couldn’t say the words out loud and was scared to tell my boyfriend cause I felt like it was my fault and I was doing this to him. I suffered in silence in a whirlwind of depression and crippling anxiety.” Read more.
Jul 30 Jul 30 "For almost 4 months I sat in denial of my pregnancy all alone." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 20 Weeks “I was too young at 20 and believe I am still too young. So I made it happen. If I would have waited just a few more weeks, I would have been ineligible in my state to have an abortion. I am so thankful for God’s timing and the resources and bravery he bestowed upon me in order for my successful abortion.” Read more.
Jun 23 Jun 23 "One year later, I still know it was the right choice." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, Twins, 14 Weeks “I had all the symptoms. I should have known. But I didn’t have insurance. I took two pregnancy tests weeks apart, only to return negative both times. I went to the OBGYN while I was home only a few weeks ago. She said the IUD I’ve had for years was fine. I probably had an ulcer. It must be stress. No, maybe it’s GI issues..” Read more.
May 4 May 4 "I desperately wanted to be a mother and still do, but I knew that it wasn't the time." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 20 Weeks, U.S. “I now have an associates degree and started my career. My fiancé has also has an associates degree and started his career and makes enough to support us and more if wanted. We are getting married in September of this year and are going to try to start a family next year. All in all, I wanted to tell my story as it's been weighing on me, but I don't regret the decisions I made.” Read more.
Nov 20 Nov 20 "I aborted twice. The first I realized when I was 20 years old and 4 months pregnant." ~ "Aborté dos veces. La primera me di cuenta cuando tenía 20 años y 4 meses de embarazo". Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Mexico, Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 16 Weeks “I did not know because every month everything was normal. My boyfriend insisted that I take a test because he felt that something was wrong. After a long time of insisting, I gave in and did the test and surprise: I was pregnant. I did not hesitate to go and buy pills that same day.” Read more.“No lo sabía porque todos los meses todo era normal. Mi novio insistió en que hiciera una prueba porque sentía que algo andaba mal. Después de mucho tiempo de insistir, cedí e hice la prueba y sorpresa: estaba embarazada. No dudé en ir a comprar pastillas ese mismo día ”. Lee mas.
Mar 8 Mar 8 "A part of me wanted this pregnancy even though I knew abortion was the right choice." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Later Abortions, 13 Weeks, 2nd Trimester, Mexico “I was farther along than they had thought (13 weeks) so I had to have extra sedation to be relaxed enough for the procedure. The drugs made me fall asleep and I don't remember much. My boyfriend was able to stay in the operating room with me so he held my hand and woke me up when it was over. I was relieved not to be pregnant but also felt regret.” Read more.
Feb 9 Feb 9 "I was feeling awful but I know I have no other choice." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 13 Weeks, Location Unknown “I had an abortion about 6 or 7 years ago. I had my first child in 2011. I'm currently pregnant. Due to financial, physical and mental issues, I've decided to get an abortion next week.” Read more.
Nov 26 Nov 26 Listen or Read: 5 Different Stories of Later Abortion -- "Maybe talking about my abortion can be healing not just for me, but for people around me." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, Twins, 15 to 23 Weeks, Multiple Abortions, U.S. “I realized I was pregnant pretty late into my pregnancy. I had developed an eating disorder in high school and that eating disorder got bad in college so I left school to go home and get treatment for that. And that's an issue that's important because one of the symptoms of having an eating disorder is losing your period. Amenorrhea. And so we didn't know when I lost mine that it was because I was pregnant. We thought it was because of the illness. I was also on birth control at the time. I had been on birth control for quite a while. And so that was another reason why we didn't even think about it. By the time I realized I was pregnant, I was quite a few weeks in. “ Listen or read the transcript.
Nov 4 Nov 4 "It was a strong emotional blow and something that helped was to mourn." ~ "Fue un fuerte golpe emocional y algo que ayudó fue el duelo". Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 Weeks, Guatemala “This time we contacted the wrong person. He was a scammer, and despite applying the pills, I did not have an abortion. That’s why the pregnancy remained normal. I felt nauseous in the morning. I didn't feel hungry. And that's why we decided to do an ultrasound. And yes, I was still pregnant, only this time I was 15 weeks along.’ Read more.“Esta vez contactamos a la persona equivocada. Él era un estafador y, a pesar de aplicarme las pastillas, no me hice un aborto. Por eso el embarazo siguió siendo normal. Sentí náuseas por la mañana. No sentí hambre. Y por eso decidimos hacer una ecografía. Y sí, todavía estaba embarazada, solo que esta vez tenía 15 semanas ". Leer más.
Oct 8 Oct 8 "Test results confirmed that our baby had a significant likelihood of having some kind of abnormality that would likely cause him to suffer." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 14 Weeks, 18 Weeks, U.S. “My husband and I faced pregnancy loss a total of four times. We terminated two very wanted pregnancies — one at 14 weeks and one at 18 weeks. And years after delivering our living son, I miscarried twice. While still stigmatized, miscarriage is the more palatable kind of pregnancy loss that might generate sympathy and condolences. However, termination for medical reasons (TFMR) usually carries stigma and shame that run so deep, you have to either whisper it or justify your choice.” Read more.
Sep 30 Sep 30 "We picked out names, talked about him/her. We planned everything. At this point I was 3 months pregnant." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 Weeks, 17 Weeks, Florida, U.S. “I unfortunately found out he had lied to me about something pretty big. Now I was faced with an awful dilemma. There was a chance he was going to be sentenced to jail time for something he did long before he met me. In that case I would have to drop out of school, and be kicked out of my dad’s house. But my boyfriend isn’t making it into a big deal. He told me if I have an abortion we would not be together anymore. I felt so backed into a corner. I wanted this baby. But I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t trust my boyfriend anymore, and I was scared I couldn’t do it on my own.” Read more.
