Jul 13 Jul 13 "I got pregnant for the first time when I had just turned 18, I was 2 weeks into my first year at university." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.K. “I found out I am pregnant again. I am 19 years old now, 20 in a few weeks. I don't have any hesitation towards it, but at least last time I was living away from home. Now I am living with my parents and brothers, and it is so hard knowing how disappointed they would be if they ever knew. I don't regret anything I have done or am doing, but it doesn't make it any easier.” Read more.
Jul 7 Jul 7 "If I hadn’t chosen those abortions, these two beautiful children I have now wouldn’t be here with me today." Sharing Truth Five Abortions, Canada “I had my first child at 18 years old. I was an alcoholic soon after. I did my best with my child but eventually lost custody of him due to my addiction when he was a year old. Shortly after, I found out I was pregnant again. I had been drinking for months and did not find out until I was 12 weeks along.” Read more.
Jul 7 Jul 7 "He never once thought about how this could affect my mental health." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, California “All he cared about was how he wanted this second child. He wanted a playmate for child number one, who is on the spectrum, which within itself is a lot of work with them being a toddler and having that disability. So once the second abortion was done, he really went overboard and in some ways is trying to trap me, though I have been using a birth control that works for me and happy that I was able to have such.” Read more.
Jul 3 Jul 3 "Due to my troublesome childhood I had decided years ago that I would never want to be a mother." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.S. “Lucky for me, the procedure worked, even though I was so early in my pregnancy. I was relieved and thankful that I had the privilege of having the option to terminate. Fast forward to now. I haven’t been nauseous but my breasts have been extremely tender. I woke up this morning, 1 day before my expected period, knowing I needed to take a test. Sure enough, pregnant again. The appointment has been made, I will be terminating this pregnancy as well.” Read more.
Jun 23 Jun 23 "I grew up in the church and that’s where all of my shame resided." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Delaware, U.S. “Although making the choice to not be a mom each time was by far the hardest decisions I’ll ever have to make, I don’t regret them. I’m here to tell you that there is light at the end of those dark tunnels.” Read more.
Jun 22 Jun 22 "Growing up, abortion was only ever discussed by my mom in very hushed tones- as though just speaking about it was shameful in itself." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Florida, New York “A friend recently reminded me that shame dies in the light. So many of us have either had or know someone who has had an abortion and yet we still struggle and keep our stories in the dark. Sharing this isn’t easy for me either, but I hope my story might help someone else cast off that suffocating shame or stand taller, speak up and speak out.” 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.
Jun 2 Jun 2 "I think of the damage those children might have experienced with me as their mother." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Georgia, U.S. “I know being wanted isn’t a guarantee of a child’s happiness or success, but after I got sober at 25, I went back to school and got a degree in social work. I worked in child abuse investigations for 20 years, and I can’t count the number of children I saw who had been targeted, scapegoated, tortured, and vilified because they were unwanted. The most basic gift we can give children is to be wanted and loved. Every child should have that starting out.” Read more.
May 22 May 22 "The relief was grand, knowing at that age I was incompetent of raising anyone other than myself, barely!" Sharing Truth Three Abortions, U.S. “I was living in a ski town and my boyfriend and I got pregnant. I was 19 soon to be 20. We both were in shock and he supported whatever choice I needed. My girlfriends surrounded me and drove me to the clinic. At that time it was very common. All my older friends, and my sister, had all been through it.” Read more.
May 14 May 14 "I was afraid of my ex who I had been with yet again and he scared me." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Florida “My first abortion was my choice, I agreed with my ex we were in a hard place in our relationship and financially unstable. Less than a year later I was pregnant again. I had told him I didn’t want to abort, we were doing better and could figure it out, but he had other ideas which he pressured very hard for me to have another abortion.” Read more.
May 11 May 11 "Due to my severe fear of pregnancy and birth I couldn’t go through with it." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.K. “I have had two abortions and the most heartbreaking thing of all is that they were planned pregnancies but due to my severe fear of pregnancy and birth I couldn’t go through with it. There needs to be more awareness and support around the condition of Tokophobia and often it really does come down to continuing with a pregnancy and letting your mental health drastically suffer, or to terminate and look after yourself.” Read more.
May 7 May 7 "The timing of this was just not correct for us." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, U.S. “Despite being on consistent birth control, a pregnancy test — let’s be real, 6 pregnancy tests — confirmed I was pregnant. After a few days of going back and forth on what to do, we finally agreed that we did not have the bandwidth to raise a baby. It was a difficult but necessary choice that I still have no regrets about. I think my body knew the pregnancy was wrong for me.” Read more.
Apr 10 Apr 10 "Until recently, I shared a 'preferred version' of my abortion story." Sharing Truth Four Abortions, U.S. “I shared one that I felt was more palatable, and socially acceptable. Specifically, that I had had one abortion in my early twenties, within a long-term relationship, while I was pursuing my first degree. I am now learning to embrace the messy edges of my story and challenge the heteropatriarchal narrative that there are “acceptable” abortion stories.” Read more.
Mar 29 Mar 29 "I did IVF to become a single mother by choice. Reality struck me during pregnancy." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Australia “He left a few weeks later and a few weeks after that I found out I was pregnant. At the start I was determined to keep it but I felt in no way ready to be a single mum and made the hard choice at 36 to have an abortion. Fast foward a year, I did IVF to become a single mother by choice. I didn’t want him to be the reason I didn’t have kids and I was still missing the baby I gave up. Read more.
Mar 28 Mar 28 "I do not feel any pain, or any sense of loss. I can only feel gratitude that I had the freedom to make this decision." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, Canada “MY heart goes out to anyone who wanted pro-abortion support, but was left without the love and respect that they needed. There is absolutely no chance at equality without abortion. My heart aches to think about the people who are located in places where abortion is illegal or inaccessible. People have always had abortions and always will. I hope that one day any person can access abortion based on one reason: Whether or not they wish to be pregnant.” Read more.
Mar 21 Mar 21 "Truth is if I could go back in time I would have chosen the abortion." Sharing Truth Multiple Abortions, Location Not Given “I got knocked up in high school my senior year and my parents forced me to keep her. They didn't give me an option for abortion and when I brought up adoption they said I was a terrible mother. I was 19 years old when I had her. My mother had to quit her job and raise her grandchild because I wouldn't. I didn't want to. I don't love her like I should. Love her like a mother should love a daughter. We never got close. I resent her. I hate her father.” Read more.
Mar 9 Mar 9 "I would have five children right now and would have to live off government aid." Sharing Truth Three Abortions, Location Not Given “Should I have kept the child with the man who, unprovoked, questioned paternity? Or the one who abandoned me when I was ten weeks along? Or how about with the one who went off the deep end into QAnon conspiracies? I felt fed up with men, relieved I could continue with my life.” 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.
