A little background: I grew up in a strongly conservative, Christian household. Though I disagree with their views, I still never thought I’d be faced with the choice of having an abortion.
I’m 20 years old. At age 18, still in high school, my best friend in I decided to go work at a strip club. We both got hooked on drugs, and she dropped out of high school just 2 months before we were due to graduate. I was dating an abusive drug addict. My first week of college, I found out I was pregnant. Surprisingly, I saw it as a way out. I cleaned my life up, upped my grades, got accepted and transferred into one of the top nursing schools in my state, and dropped the abusive boyfriend. My son is 18 months old now and the light of my life, but I already know I don’t want any more children. Which brings my to my actual abortion story, that just happened a few weeks ago : At this moment, I am a junior in college. On track to graduate on time, and planning on going to medical school or DNP school afterwards. I go to school full time, and I still work at the strip club on occasion to make a little extra money when I need it (babies are expensive!!) I know, right? A stripper in college. Crazy.
At the strip club, I have a very close friend who I’ve known for a couple years now. He’s significantly older than me, but we just click. (Most people would call this a sugar daddy, but it’s deeper than that and it isn’t about money. If you think that’s weird, creepy, gross, etc that’s fine. It’s not for everyone. We are two consenting adults.) Anyways, I had just started my junior year, and found out I was pregnant by this friend. As soon as I saw those lines pop up, I knew what I was going to do, but still had a moment of panic. I was on birth control, which had obviously failed me, and I was dumbfounded. I thought I had been careful. I don’t want another baby, I can’t afford another baby while in college, and how would I explain another unplanned, unwed, young pregnancy to my family? I called my friend immediately, freaking out, and he was very calm and supportive, and told me he’d help me do whatever I wanted. I scheduled my appointment at planned parenthood the very next morning. You’re required to have two appointments a certain period of time apart, and both times I went the staff made me feel safe and supported. I was 4 weeks and 4 days along, and it was nothing more than a tiny sac of cells. It was almost like a non-event. I chose the medical abortion, took the pills on a Saturday, and was able to go to school that week.
I don’t have any regrets. I’m getting the copper IUD next week, that lasts for 10 years. This whole experience really opened my eyes to women’s reproductive rights, health care, and how imperative it is that people have a choice. I’ve always felt this way, but after this experience it’s like I have a whole new urgency to fight for these rights. Thank you for letting me share my story here, as a I cannot go public with it due to judgement from family and friends.
