Jun 3 Jun 3 "I gave up babies I have cried for countless times so that I could have the one I was meant to have." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, New York “But here’s the thing that people who oppose abortions never understand. If we had decided to have that baby, there would have been many joys, but also many losses. I wouldn’t have gone to graduate school, wouldn’t have written books, wouldn’t have become a professor. I’m not at all sure our relationship would have survived it, either. But the single most important loss of all would have been the son I did have. If I had kept that baby we aborted, we would never have had the one I know and love. That is no small thing.” Read more.
May 29 May 29 "Till this day I still have a hard time forgiving myself, but I know it was for the best." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Later Abortion, California “I got pregnant at 19 and had my daughter the same month I turned 20. Her dad and I were really toxic. He’s a recovering alcoholic. Three months after I had my daughter, I found out I was pregnant again. I was terrified, and fought with myself about keeping it.” Read more.
May 15 May 15 "My second abortion was an incredible experience as I felt loved and supported." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Texas, Colorado “My previous abortion helped me prepare better this time around, and it was a pleasant experience. I had a fantastic obstetrician supporting my decision. I hired an abortion doula and tasked my husband with caring for our daughter. My daughter was in the room while I had an abortion, playing with my husband and her toys. I was in a tub of warm water, watching Grey’s Anatomy and eating a sandwich through the pain while my doula supported me emotionally and physically.” Read more.
May 11 May 11 "My son and I both lost our father, and I want to be very sure that my next child’s father will be my husband and support us." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, Indiana “I’m disappointed in myself because I thought I can do this. I thought I could give my 8 year old son a sibling. He recently lost his father Dec. 18 to gun violence, just like I lost my father. My depression from losing my father consumed me. I knew a new baby would be good for him, but now that my boyfriend and I are going on 2 years, I’m not ready for this commitment.” Read more.
May 6 May 6 "I feel guilty but I had no choice." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Kenya “Abortion is illegal here and this affected me and made me feel guilty. But I overcame this. It’s not me only —over a million ladies do this yearly. Obviously people can't tell you how they feel about you. But inside their minds they think— she is a whore and such.” Read more.
Apr 26 Apr 26 "We need to honor ourselves and trust our decisions." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Massachusetts “At age 35, my body was not handling the pregnancy well. My son, now 11, had a stable home and I had a good job. I knew my entire life that I had very strategically and carefully put together would possibly be knocked down like a tower in the game ‘Jenga.’” Read more.
Apr 24 Apr 24 "I can live my life the way I intended to and when I'm ready, I'm sure I'll be a great mom, just not anytime soon." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Washington “When I went in to get the ultrasound they do before the procedure, I started to cry about how disappointed I was in myself about having to get another one. The nurse said, 'this is more common than you think.' That helped a little, then another nurse who did the education part and was going to be in the room during the procedure noticed I was upset and said, 'If I was pregnant right now, I'd do the same thing. Sometimes the timing is not right and only you can decide that.' After that, I stopped crying and started to feel okay about myself.” Read more.
Apr 23 Apr 23 "I had a no-shame medication abortion." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Hungary “To do it in the safety of your home, beside your loved ones, gives you positiveness, strength and empowers you in many ways. No shame at all. I had an abortion once before, in a hospital. I felt I will not survive the shame and depressive feelings that were planted in me by hospital staff.” Read more.
Apr 16 Apr 16 "I’m not financially ready or have my own place to raise a child." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Canada “I’m still trying to get myself together and go back to school. I’m having bad mental issues and anxiety thinking about it. I need to learn to forgive myself for it. I feel something missing from me and I know what it is.” Read more.
Apr 12 Apr 12 "The doctor that treated me was very rude and I felt judged." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Japan “When he would make the ultrasounds for the first visits, he kept on telling me that is an alive baby and his tone was very dry. If it wasn't enough that I was already struggling emotionally, and having to hide it from my family. Having a doctor — who I thought would me more professional about it — that judges you didn't help. The nurses were nice, though.” Read more.
Apr 9 Apr 9 "We took it for granted and never realized that our parents had to fight for this right and that in so many countries it's not available safely." Sharing Truth Multiple Abortions, Netherlands, Men's Experiences, Partner Experience “An abortion means that you let go of possible future. Even when I was very sure about the decision and relieved after the operation, there was also sadness and mourning about it. The sadness about not being able to enjoy this other future, too!” Read. more.
Mar 31 Mar 31 "I was terrified of the fact that something was growing inside of me, and had a fear that someone would inherit my mental health problems." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Finland “I have suffered from panic disorder, general anxiety and OCD from a very young age. In my early thirties I was also diagnosed with depression. I’ve used antidepressants since the age of 20. When we started to try to get pregnant, I lowered my dose of antidepressants to a minimum. In retrospect it was a mistake. One evening I was crying on our couch because I was so depressed and anxious about what our future would look like with a baby. I was really struggling to keep my mind even somewhat normal. My boyfriend then said to me: “You know we still have time to decide if we want to terminate the pregnancy. You are more important than anything and you are the light of my life.” Read more.
Mar 30 Mar 30 "I don’t see myself bringing a child into the world only for them to suffer just because I’m afraid of what people are going to say." Sharing Truth Five Abortions, South Africa “From these experiences I've learnt to live with myself and not be ashamed of the decisions I've made. Societal norms make us believe it’s okay to bear children into poverty. If I feel like I’m not ready for a child, then I’m not ready. I'll never let anyone tell me differently, because when it comes to raising a baby especially with an absent father or without a support structure, you really are on your own.” Read more.
Mar 20 Mar 20 "I was very sure of what I was doing." ~ "Estaba muy segura de lo que estaba haciendo." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Paraguay, Spanish/English “I didn't have any trauma, I bought the pills. And I did it. I found out I was pregnant within a few weeks, when I started having symptoms. I was afraid. My partner is younger than me and I had no way out. I have done it before. Previously I did it because I was alone and I was not prepared. This time it was out of fear, because I have a family that depends on me financially speaking.” Read more.“No tuve ningún trauma, compré las pastillas. Y lo hice. Descubrí que estaba embarazada a las pocas semanas, cuando comencé a tener síntomas. Tenía miedo. Mi pareja es más joven que yo y no tenía salida. Lo he hecho antes. Anteriormente lo hacía porque estaba solo y no estaba preparado. Esta vez fue por miedo, porque tengo una familia que depende de mí económicamente hablando ”. Leer más.
Mar 13 Mar 13 "Friends and family know I had a baby when I was 24, but they don't know about my three other pregnancies." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Colorado, U.S. “Should I be punished for my choices in life? Why do the ‘pro-life’ groups believe that I should be taking care of 4 children with tax payer support?!?!? I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE what my life would be like if I was taking care of 4 KIDS!!! I can promise you that I would have MANY PEOPLE looking at me saying I was an insane mother for having 4 kids.” Read more.
Mar 8 Mar 8 "I know that these experiences will make me stronger and more prepared for when I have a child at the time I choose. " Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Mexico “In the entire country there are only two states where you can get an abortion, and I did not live in either state. Our only option to get an abortion was to fly to another state and do the procedure there. I felt sad for the women in this country who aren't able to go to another state like I was and are forced to have a baby due to circumstance.” Read more.
Mar 7 Mar 7 "Trust your brain and your heart that they will collaborate." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Two Abortions, Netherlands, Audio In this brief segment of her abortion story, Monika shares about meeting two people in the clinic waiting room who calmed her nerves by sharing that they each had experienced more than one abortion. “This was very pleasant for me to be surrounded by these very strong women who trusted their bodies and showed me the normality of abortion. They obviously were way more mature and way more experienced and comfortable in their own bodies, so I was happy to see that as an example to follow.” Read more and listen.
Mar 5 Mar 5 "Shamed into silence, my mom couldn't tell me about her abortions -- until I needed one." Sharing Truth Multiple Abortions, Location Unknown “My mom wanted to have a baby on her terms. She didn't want to doom herself and her children to poverty and deprivation, so she waited to have children. Her body kept trying to change the schedule. So she terminated the pregnancies. She made this decision, evaluating her position and capabilities each time, on a number of occasions, which is nobody's business but her own. When she was ready, she had my brother and 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.
Feb 27 Feb 27 "I'm very honest about having had multiple abortions and about regretting one." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Illinois, U.S. “It's complicated for me to talk about abortion. I'm fiercely pro choice but I've also had one abortion I regret. That’s difficult for a lot of people to understand. I feel adamant that the nuances and contradictions and gray areas surrounding abortion need to be discussed. I deserve to be pro abortion and also sometimes regretful. My whole story is worthy, even if it confuses people. Maybe especially because it does.” Read more.
