I was 22, had just finished college and was dating a guy who already had three kids by three other women. He was not allowed contact with any of these women or their children.

He drank a lot, did a lot of drugs, and was largely unemployable. (I’m a smart girl and have never understood why I chose him as a partner in the first place.) There was nothing beneficial about my relationship with him, so I severed ties easily and moved away. Then, I learned that I was pregnant. It was five days before Christmas, I was visiting my family and preparing to leave the US for several months. There was no way I was willing to stay connected to this person for the rest of my life, or bring one more child into the world without a loving, present father. I didn’t love the guy, so how could I commit to raising a child with him?! Raising a child on my own was out of the question at that point in my life. Making the choice to have an abortion is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I have never second-guessed it for a moment. I am proud of myself for having taken control of my own life, for having made a strong and difficult decision without regret, and for having set my life on a course of confidence, independence and clarity.