Media
Donna
I was 23, out of college, dating a really nice guy. I had to travel for business but as I was in such a junior position, airfare to fly home from the job site for weekends was not provided. I was unable to get my birth control prescription filled for the entire time I was away. When I returned home from the business trip, my prescription had run out and I had passed the start time where the next prescription would be protective against a pregnancy. I knew this. But I had sex with my boyfriend anyway. The attraction between two young people is powerful. I realized I was pregnant right away. I went for a blood test as soon as I could and then the OB/GYN confirmed I was pregnant. I scheduled the abortion within 10 days of finding out I was pregnant. At the time, both my boyfriend and I were living in different cities, not ready to commit, barely able to feed ourselves & pay rent, pay school loans, pay car loans, insurance, etc. The decision was easy and I have not regretted it. When I eventually did have a baby in my thirties, I realized I never would have been able to do it on my own and it would have been very difficult for the two of us. He is happily married now to someone else with two children. I am happily married with one child. I believe if there had been an emergency contraceptive pill or a continuous birth control pill – I would not have become pregnant or had an abortion. I think society needs to make all contraceptive methods more easily available to all women, which could further reduce the need for abortion.