I had an abortion when I was 25 and living in Washington. I had previously broken up with my boyfriend and slept with two other men after. To be quite honest, I did not know which one of them was the father, but to me it did not matter.
When I suspected I was pregnant, I went to Planned Parenthood and they confirmed. They asked how I would like to proceed and I, without hesitation, said I wanted to terminate.
I made an appointment. I chose to go in person rather than get the pill because I did not have someone that could reliably monitor me for 24 hours.
I showed up to the procedure. I remember thinking how nice a garden there was outside. I will also always remember a nurse calling me into a room before the procedure to make sure that I was not being coerced in the abortion. I was not, but I think about all the women who were brought into that room and finally had a moment of freedom.
My friend came with me to the appointment and stayed with me during the procedure. I cannot overstate the incredible kindness from the doctors and nurses who performed my abortion. I actually had a medical intern in the room, which is funny to look back on. The important thing was that I was confident in my decision and was surrounded by people who were supporting me.
Looking back at the experience, I was very lucky. I almost never think about the abortion itself…almost like it was just a doctor’s appointment in the distant past. There are a lot of different motivations for getting an abortion, but I was simply not ready to have a baby. I think that’s reason enough. I wish that everyone’s experience could be as easy as mine and my heart goes out to those that have to fight for their right to make this choice.
