02.06.2017
Media

Anonymous

I have now and at the time, a medical degree, board certification, an MS and was finishing up on my PhD when I suddenly heard of, interviewed for, and was offered a dream job for me. It was November and I had been in a relationship with a man for 4 months and in December.

After I accepted the job, we traveled to see his (fundamental Baptist Priest) brother and family — and I forgot birth control pills. I could not ask to call my OBGYN or go to a pharmacy — and was always extremely conscious of my cycle stage, so knew the risk immediately. I tried to prevent the issue but men can be aggressive and demanding, even lovers and women are taught to be conciliatory. I was 2 weeks pregnant when I knew it – and 5 weeks when Planned Parenthood could confirm by ultrasound.

I had the abortion because I absolutely knew this would drastically affect my new job and career and because the father indicated he wanted nothing to do with the child and wanted no further involvement with me if I was relocating. It is a stereotypical mythe perpetuated by the anti-choice advocates that most abortions are with women in poverty or low income status and with limited educational levels. The statistics need to be renewed and reviewed by all.

I know that if abortion hadn’t been legal, I would have done this illegally — and money was not an issue at all. It was my life, my pain, my future and the future of any child I brought into this world.