Oct 2 Oct 2 "I ended up making the decision to terminate a wanted pregnancy after my relationship with the father turned abusive. " Sharing Truth 2nd Trimester, 25 weeks, U.S. “I was 25 weeks and 4 days. I went to the most amazing clinic with the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. They took great care of me, and helped ensure the physical pain wasn’t bad so that I could handle the emotional pain I experienced.” Read more.
Jul 14 Jul 14 "We have to trust our instincts were correct." Sharing Truth One abortion, 2nd Trimester, 20 Weeks, U.S. “But the point in having kids is to try and create the kindest version of these little humans, love them, guide them, and we felt we just weren’t ready to do that and that’s ok. Because it’s a huge responsibility.” Read more.
May 4 May 4 "I desperately wanted to be a mother and still do, but I knew that it wasn't the time." Sharing Truth Two Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 20 Weeks, U.S. “I now have an associates degree and started my career. My fiancé has also has an associates degree and started his career and makes enough to support us and more if wanted. We are getting married in September of this year and are going to try to start a family next year. All in all, I wanted to tell my story as it's been weighing on me, but I don't regret the decisions I made.” Read more.
Nov 26 Nov 26 Listen or Read: 5 Different Stories of Later Abortion -- "Maybe talking about my abortion can be healing not just for me, but for people around me." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, Twins, 15 to 23 Weeks, Multiple Abortions, U.S. “I realized I was pregnant pretty late into my pregnancy. I had developed an eating disorder in high school and that eating disorder got bad in college so I left school to go home and get treatment for that. And that's an issue that's important because one of the symptoms of having an eating disorder is losing your period. Amenorrhea. And so we didn't know when I lost mine that it was because I was pregnant. We thought it was because of the illness. I was also on birth control at the time. I had been on birth control for quite a while. And so that was another reason why we didn't even think about it. By the time I realized I was pregnant, I was quite a few weeks in. “ Listen or read the transcript.
Oct 8 Oct 8 "Test results confirmed that our baby had a significant likelihood of having some kind of abnormality that would likely cause him to suffer." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 14 Weeks, 18 Weeks, U.S. “My husband and I faced pregnancy loss a total of four times. We terminated two very wanted pregnancies — one at 14 weeks and one at 18 weeks. And years after delivering our living son, I miscarried twice. While still stigmatized, miscarriage is the more palatable kind of pregnancy loss that might generate sympathy and condolences. However, termination for medical reasons (TFMR) usually carries stigma and shame that run so deep, you have to either whisper it or justify your choice.” Read more.
Sep 30 Sep 30 "We picked out names, talked about him/her. We planned everything. At this point I was 3 months pregnant." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 Weeks, 17 Weeks, Florida, U.S. “I unfortunately found out he had lied to me about something pretty big. Now I was faced with an awful dilemma. There was a chance he was going to be sentenced to jail time for something he did long before he met me. In that case I would have to drop out of school, and be kicked out of my dad’s house. But my boyfriend isn’t making it into a big deal. He told me if I have an abortion we would not be together anymore. I felt so backed into a corner. I wanted this baby. But I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t trust my boyfriend anymore, and I was scared I couldn’t do it on my own.” Read more.
Sep 5 Sep 5 "He tells me that I’m 16 weeks pregnant and that he won’t perform an abortion: he says it’s against his beliefs. " Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 16 Weeks, New York, U.S. “For my mother and me, this is shocking information. I’m shocked that I’m pregnant to begin with and we’re both shocked that his beliefs have anything to do with whether or not I can obtain an abortion. My mother is a lawyer. She’s enraged. Abortion is legal. My doctor sends me to a clinic on 59th Street between 5th and Madison. The place is well-run and professional and I am treated with dignity and compassion.” Read more.
Jul 25 Jul 25 "We met with our OB who subsequently told us that the ultrasound showed our child’s brain ventricles were nearly twice the size they should be." Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 21 Weeks, Maryland, U.S. “My husband and I faced another agonizing decision. I would not wish this on anyone; once---let alone twice. On August 13, 2010, we decided once again to terminate the pregnancy and said goodbye to our second child, this time to our daughter. We were able to choose a surgical option due to the gestational age in Washington, DC. After a series of tests and doctor consultations, the best guess was that our losses were the result of a recessive combination of genes: one from each of us. This means that there is a 25% chance of reoccurrence in each subsequent pregnancy.” Read more.
May 14 May 14 "I wasn’t having super regular menstrual cycles because I had an IUD, so that didn’t warn me. I didn’t think to check if I was pregnant. " Sharing Truth Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 13 Weeks, California, U.S. “You had to go in, get a sonogram, wait the mandated 24 hours, then come back in for the procedure. Given that there was a two-and-a-half-week wait for just the first appointment and given that my job situation was what it was, I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to make one of those two appointments and everything would be pushed back another three weeks, minimum, as a result. And we also have a 20-week ban here. I was really nervous that my circumstances would push me over the ban.” Read more.
