I am 27. I had no idea I was pregnant. I was still getting a period. Then all of a sudden, I didn’t for a month. I took 5 pregnancy tests and they all came back positive. I told my boyfriend, who I live with later that day. He was scared but happy because he didn’t know what we were going to do.

We made an appointment for an ultrasound at Planned Parenthood. I was much further along than I thought, 16weeks. The nurse seemed very concerned that I had not been taking prenatal vitamins, I had been drinking (though not excessively, but did have hard liquor), and hadn’t been eating a balanced diet to be this far along. I had barely gained weight. The only reason I decided to have an abortion was due to the fact that I was so far along and was concerned the baby would not be healthy. It broke my heart to terminate my first pregnancy and with the man I love. I had the D&E surgical procedure. The most painful part is the sadness felt. Having the dilators placed the night before the procedure was very uncomfortable and somewhat painful. It is like really bad period cramps. The procedure itself was quick and practically painless besides a little IV stick. It has been really hard emotionally afterwards, but it does get better. I do plan to have a baby with the man I am with, but when we are ready and have prepared to have a healthy pregnancy. I am thankful that I had the freedom to make a choice. There is a lot of stigma around abortion, but at the hospital, I never felt judged. I felt supported and very cared for by all of the staff. I told them all I was scared and that I wish I had found out about my pregnancy a lot earlier. I cannot stress the importance of safe sex, birth control, and early testing.