My abortion was happy. Yes, I had pain afterwards. Yes, there were protesters. But while I was there I was taken care of. And after I left, I felt empowered.
I’m part of a lucky few who live close to the only abortion clinic in my state. They only schedule abortions once a week, on Wednesdays. So that’s when my abortion was scheduled, three weeks from the day I took my test.
When I arrived at 8 am, there were protesters holding signs showing fetuses and trying to hand off pamphlets to me. My boyfriend was harassed by another man, who was telling him, “As a man, you have a responsibility to stop this.” I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean. The abortion clinic has volunteers in vests that walk with us to act as a barrier. So I kept my head held high, smiled, and kindly turned down the protesters.
Every minute of the three hour process was incredible (except for the payment, that was painful). The women working there were so calm and friendly. My ultrasound revealed that I was 8 weeks pregnant. The actual abortion was only a few minutes. There were three other women in the room: the doctor and two women whose job was to keep me calm. We talked about my work at a candy store. It was nice having them there, even if it was weird at first.
After I recovered, my boyfriend came down to the area I was in and we got to bring a plant home that a nonprofit provides for the clinic. I’m glad to have something to remind me of the experience where I felt empowered, safe, and happy. And once I finished my pregnancy, I finally returned to feeling like myself.
