When I was 19 I got pregnant. I was in a loving, committed relationship, but I was also a sophomore in college. I had dreams and aspirations, and raising a child wasn’t one of them at age 19.

Social stigma also played a big role for me. I knew that if I got pregnant, I would be judged harshly. A secret abortion sounded like the better option. My boyfriend agreed. I was only 5 weeks pregnant, so I had a medical abortion. I was thankful to have Planned Parenthood nearby. I also started birth control immediately after my abortion.

But that’s not the end of the story. Two years later I got pregnant again. Same boyfriend. Still in college. Birth control failed and again, I had a medical abortion at five weeks. That was 6 years ago, and I am now married to my then boyfriend. We don’t have kids yet, maybe we will someday. But we have no regrets. I am happy with the path that I chose. While I respect that it isn’t for everyone, it was the right one for us.

Most of our friends and none of our family know about the abortions. Maybe we will tell them someday. Maybe we won’t.