I was 34 years old and it was Christmas 1998 when I fell pregnant. My husband had left me two months previously and I was still reeling. A male friend was visiting from overseas and staying at my house. We got drunk and the inevitable happened. Unfortunately the condom broke; I went to the doctors the next morning and got the morning after pill. I was advised that if I was ovulating it may not work. It didn’t.
I started to feel ill within two weeks of the “accident”, had very sore breasts, missed my period and was extremely tired. Mid-January I took the pregnancy test that came with the morning after pill and sure enough it was positive. Unfortunately I took the test while my friend was still with me. He was over the moon, I remember him saying “that’s fantastic, the woman I love is pregnant!” and all I could think of was how quickly I could get rid of it. It was unthinkable to me to actually go through with the pregnancy.
He wanted to marry me and have the child but I have always been childfree and that was one of the reasons my husband left as he wanted children. I had sometimes wondered what I would do/feel like if I did get pregnant. I had had a couple of scares over the years which worried my sick, especially while I was married because I thought I would be stuck with it if it happened then. I always thought that I would feel like my life had been ruined. That didn’t happen, I was in charge. I calmly called the doctor and made an appointment for that afternoon. Within two weeks I was at the clinic having a termination.
I told nobody, I went by myself, it was quick, painless and I never shed a tear. I’m not sorry, in fact I am extremely grateful that abortion was readily available. As I have been refused sterilization, because apparently I don’t know my own mind, I would do it again tomorrow if I had to.
