I was an unwanted pregnancy; conceived in incest (brother and sister), surrendered for adoption and forgotten. I have no family medical history, no idea what to expect when I get older.

--How many abortions have you had? Why?--

Well, I've had six, waiting on my seventh because I cannot be sterilized yet. I'm only 27, and most states make you wait until you're over 30. Another reason being that I have no family to offer a child. My biological family wants nothing to do with me, and my adoptive family just doesn't like me.

--Have you ever regretted having so many abortions?--

You know, the only thing I really regret is carrying one pregnancy to term. Now there's another kid out there who doesn't know what genetic defects run in his family, or how to avoid them. For that, I am sorry.

--How old were you the first time? Why didn't you get birth control?--

I was 18 the first time, and had just come back 'home' after living in my car that winter. I was 17 wks pregnant, and had to have a 2 day procedure. The first day I had a check-up, and the doctor put several laminaria in my cervix to dilate it. The next day, I had the abortion. The doctors gave me an ultrasound right beforehand, and I saw that the fetus was, sadly, dead.

I've never been able to afford birth control. I'm usually homeless or in transit and never have the same address for very long. Medicaid won't cover you if they can't find you.

--What will you do after this one?--

I hope to get an IUD, which should offer me protection for up to 12 yrs. By then, maybe I'll be menopausal, but I'm not holding my breath.