Feb 6 Feb 6 "Both these last two, contraception has failed, which feels like a massive kick." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “I can’t believe I was that unlucky!! I feel awful but I have two children already and unfortunately there is no way I could afford a third.” Read more.
Oct 27 Oct 27 "You (we) deserve to live the lives we choose for ourselves and not feel shame for it." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Multiple Abortions When a person shared on Reddit’s r/abortion forum about feeling like a bad person for having three abortions, what happened next turned her entire outlook around. See the outpouring of loving support from more than 25 people who shared their own experiences of having more than one abortion. Read more.
Oct 19 Oct 19 "I spent my childhood looking after my younger siblings and saw my mom struggle as a single parent on a low income my whole life. I vowed to never be like that." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Multiple Abortions, Locations not given “I accidentally got pregnant and had an abortion during the pandemic. It was pretty traumatic but I was instantly relieved. Since then I’ve gone on to get my bachelors and masters degree. When I think of my future, I envision freedom, adventure and peace of mind. Two years later, here I am again with another unwanted pregnancy.” This story includes supportive comments from others who’ve had more than one abortion. Read more.
Jul 30 Jul 30 "We had a complete birth control fail and there you go." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.S. “I’m still spinning over the fact it happened again, despite precautions. That part is hard. There is still pain this time around, and I’m trying not to avoid it. I sit with it and I accept it -that’s something I learned. However, there is no shame. I know that abortion is normal, it is necessary and we need to change society to nurture people as they go through this process.” Read more.
Jun 9 Jun 9 "I don’t want any other human to have to hide in shame for something that’s a valid option." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “First was in 2013. My kids were 1.5 years and 9 months old. My birth control failed and the condom broke. I felt backed into a corner with no escape otherwise. I walked into the clinic alone and went through it alone. My husband waited in the car with our youngest.” Read more.
Jun 9 Jun 9 "My husband and I used both condoms and birth control pills at the same time." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “It is a decision that isn’t lightly made and after weighing all the options, becomes the best one for that person. I do not regret having the two abortions even though I am plenty thankful for my child that I have now.” Read more.
Mar 1 Mar 1 "Fast forward another 2 weeks and I am now pregnant again, immediately after an abortion." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, North of Ireland “I was absolutely devastated! Initially I felt so ashamed, so stupid and selfish that I could allow this to happen twice in concession. But then I had a strong word with myself . . . I was a woman seeking intimacy with a man also seeking intimacy, there's no shame in that. Unfortunately our chosen method of contraception failed to protect us from falling pregnant.” Read more.
Feb 23 Feb 23 "Enduring those hardships was in itself truly hellish, and I try to remember that I deserve to move on and experience happiness and peace." Sharing Truth Six Abortions, Texas, U.S. “He was possessive and supported my addictions, and often he would have sex with me against my will and in humiliating ways. My boss also sexually abused me. I became pregnant four times while I was with my ex, on birth control two of the four times. He enjoyed knowing I was pregnant and felt that this made me in some way more his.” Read more.
Jan 21 Jan 21 "I just need to know if someone else out there had a similar experience and if I’m not wrong for considering another abortion.” Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Multiple Abortions, Many different locations This person’s call for help was posted on the Instagram account of Shout Your Abortion. What happened next was a huge flood of supportive comments filled with stories of others who have ended their pregnancies. More than 40 people responded with words of care and support. Read more.
Nov 14 Nov 14 "I couldn't imagine myself AND innocent lives being attached to my ex." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Minnesota, U.S. “I knew I made the right decision immediately, but that didn't make his comments less hurtful or mean I didn't stay up all night thinking about the words he'd called me. I'm so happy I stood up for myself and did what I needed regardless of the manipulation tactics he'd attempted.” Read more.
Oct 20 Oct 20 "Four pregnancies while using birth control pills. Correctly. Every damn day." Sharing Truth Six Abortions, New Mexico “I got pregnant again at 19 while using birth control. I was in the Navy, in a foreign country and was able to obtain a legal abortion there too. Again - less than 3 months later I was pregnant. My periods had not yet become regular after the abortion and I wasn’t using birth control. I had asked a navy doctor for an IUD but was treated like a “slut” for even asking.” Read more.
Jun 27 Jun 27 "I am forever grateful for the protection and salvation that abortion has provided for me." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.K. “I had my second abortion when I was nineteen. This time I was married, after it being arranged by my community, and he was physically, sexually and emotionally abusive. I feared what he could do to a child: if he treated me like that how would he treat his baby? I aborted to protect my child.” Read more.
May 19 May 19 "Accidental pregnancies are way more common than spoken about." ~ 20 people share stories in one Reddit thread. Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Three Abortions, Four Abortions, Five Abortions, Six Abortions, Multiple Abortions A person asks, “Has anyone had more than one abortion” in a Reddit forum — and a flood of people respond, sharing their own experiences of more than one accidental or unhealthy pregnancy, and assuring that it’s common and that there is no need to feel shame or fear judgment. Read more.
Mar 15 Mar 15 "Third and last — I was raped." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “First one, I was in no position to have the baby — I was in grad school, the father was as well, but 3000 miles away; and we were young. Twenty one years old.” Read more.
Mar 1 Mar 1 "A five-minute procedure has given me a pretty great life." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Ohio, Audio “I knew I was having my first abortion so I could have children later — to give them a life that I thought maybe they deserved and I needed to give them as a mother. And the same theory goes forward with my abortions after I had children. I knew what kind of life I needed them to have. I knew what kind of horrible life I was secretly in already trying to find a way out of abuse.” Read more and listen to the audio version.
Dec 27 Dec 27 "I always thought that getting pregnant was never something that would happen to me." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Location Not Given “I realized that my body didn’t ask me permission to get pregnant, it is no one’s fault, and in most if not all cases, it isn’t something that can be controlled. We are human, and we do the best that we can with the resources that we have. In hindsight, I recognize that having an abortion was the best option for me, even if it felt like the only option at the time.” Read more.
Dec 6 Dec 6 "I was 14 and had no business even thinking I was going to raise a kid with a 14 year old boy." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “Three years later, 17 and home from a year abroad, I started hanging out with a guy I grew up with. He had 2 kids already, the condom broke, and here I was again. Pregnant. No questions about it, I was not ready for this. It was my senior year of high school.” Read more.
Sep 8 Sep 8 "I started crying as I didn’t want to be pregnant and I told them I wanted to end it in any possible way. " Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Palestine “Because of the health risks of this pregnancy, I was able to reach a doctor who was able to help me with information about pills that ended the pregnancy. I was then referred to the government hospital to get a sterilization operation. It took an entire year to get a date for the operation but when it came to the day, the anaesthetist refused to treat me.” Read more.
Mar 2 Mar 2 "Two girlfriends, two abortions." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Men's Experiences, Location Unknown, Partner Experience “I was 18 and 22, at the beginning and in the middle of my drug addiction and unfit to be a parent.” Read more.
Dec 10 Dec 10 "I have no regrets at all and only feel annoyed that birth control keeps failing me." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Massachusetts, U.S. “I feel abortions stories sometimes are about how the guy wasn’t right for you so you wanted to end it, but I have had the same boyfriend since I was 21 and do want kids with him someday. But I want them on my time when we are ready, and right now we feel we have so much more to do and live for before we settle down with kids!” Read more.
