I was 22, I got accepted into all the universities I applied to for my BA program and was a semester away from starting. I have a long history of late periods so I’ve gotten used to pregnancy scares since I was a teen but this missed period felt different. I was sick, constantly dizzy, nauseous, and felt horrible. Well 2 pregnancy tests later I got the result. I was horrified, I was the only person in my family to not have a child out of high school and this pregnancy would keep me in the cycle. I knew immediately I wanted an abortion, if I had a kid I would be tossed down a path my family paved but was not meant for me.
I told my partner, he supported me and we made the appointment. We didn’t tell either of our families, they still don’t know. We told everyone we were going on a hike at 6am in Malibu when we were actually going to a Planned Parenthood. Once the procedure was done I was exhausted but relieved. I never regretted a moment and still don’t. I rarely think about my abortion, I have no emotional ties to it other than absolute certainty that I wouldn’t of done it any other way.
I completed my BA last year, pursuing a career in community organizing, and broke my family cycle. I will have the life meant for me, not the life dedicated by family ideals or control by a faceless government.
It’s my fucking body and my fucking future.
