My first abortion was in 1986. I was 23 and married to someone I knew since I was 14 years old. I had a kidney disease and on medication which my doctor told me would sterilize me so I never used contraceptives. A month after I was married I became pregnant. I was so happy but my doctors were not. They told me the pregnancy would make me sicker and the medication would deform my child. My doctor, my husband, and family told me to get an abortion. I did. I did it for medical reasons. All I remember about that day is going to the abortion clinic and being confronted by anti-abortion people with all their photos of abortions. I remember being so angry at them because they had no idea how hard it was for me to be there. Afterwards, I cried for many days.
Then in 1988, I became pregnant again. Again my doctor, husband, and family encouraged me to get an abortion. I refused and had a beautiful healthy baby girl. Then about a year later a became pregnant again just to find out my husband was leaving me for another woman. I was so stressed throughout the pregnancy that I was sick most of the time. When I was at the beginning of my eighth month, I lost the baby boy because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his wrist and cut off his food supply and he died.
Then about six months later, I met up with an old friend from high school. We started sleeping together and I became pregnant. I was a single parent of my child and the old friend didn't even have a job. I was having a hard time paying my bills so I knew I could not financially take care of another child. I thought about having the child and giving it up for adoption but that was just not an option for me. My friend found the money and we went to the clinic. I was nervous remembering my first abortion. This time there were no anti-abortion protesters outside the clinic.
About seven months after that abortion I decided to get sterilized. Abortion is a hard thing to do. Everyone knew about my first abortion but only my friend and I know about the second abortion. It is a secret. I know of so many people that have had abortions but can't talk about them--people that are married to or family of pro-life activists that have had abortions. They have no regret and I have no regret.
   |