I am from the UK but because of what is happening in Alabama at the moment I felt I needed to get vocal to stand up for the women who may be going through what I did but have no access to legal, safe abortions.
I was 13 when I got pregnant I was raped by an 18 year old man. At the time of the rape I hadn’t even kissed a boy before. I was an innocent. I tried to forget about what had happened but I was late. I went to a sexual health clinic to get a pregnancy test. The nurse asked me; ‘have you missed your period’? I said ‘yes’ she replied ‘that’s because you’re pregnant’ I burst into tears. I was taken straight into the councilor due to my age and level of vulnerability.
The worst event of my life had now become worse. I felt like I had just received a prison sentence, that I had my liberty, my ownership of my own body taken away. The before the abortion was performed was hell on earth, I broke down. My mental health collapsed. I didn’t want to live for a second with part of him inside me.
I had an abortion at 7 weeks. It saved my life. I would have killed myself if I had been made to carry this rapists’ child. If my 13 year-old body had been forced to give birth to his baby. I would have taken my own life. What saved me was the fact I had control over my body. I hadn’t had control when he had raped me but I had control over this. After the abortion I felt free, some of the darkness descended, my mental health improved, I was able to look forward to the future to my life.
