It was the fall of my junior year of college in the early 80’s when I found out I was pregnant. The unplanned pregnancy was the result of a drunk hookup and neither of us had used protection. I was incredibly naive and thought it couldn’t really happen after one night of drunk careless sex but there I was, pregnant and in NO position to become a mother. I was fortunate enough to have a access to a safe abortion at a Planned Parenthood Clinic. Even back then, I had to walk through a gauntlet of protestors, but I was with a friend’s older sister who worked at the clinic and took care of everything. I was treated with dignity and the procedure went smoothly without any complications.
I have sometimes thought about that time but never once regretted my decision. My life would have been a disaster if I hadn’t had the option to end my pregnancy. Because I had the abortion, I was able to finish college, get a job and eventually meet and marry the love of my life. I have a wonderful life and two wonderful sons. I know that if I hadn’t had access to a safe abortion, I would have done everything in my power to end the pregnancy or died trying. Continuing the pregnancy was not an option. At the time, I took my access to a safe abortion in a clean, modern clinic for granted. In my lifetime, it had always been that way and there was no reason to think otherwise.
With everything going on today, I now fully appreciate how lucky I was then. I have the life I have now because I had access to a safe and legal abortion when I needed it. That is why I am going to fight like hell to keep abortion legal. Every woman on this earth is entitled to choose for themselves.
