In 1974, Illinois had become one of a handful of states that had legalized abortion. I was barely 17 and very much in love or at least what I thought was love with the young man who would later become my first husband.

When I found out I was pregnant we were both happy and I tried hard to hide it from my parents, knowing that their reaction would not be good. My ex boyfriend found out about my engagement and pregnancy through a mutual friend and informed my Mother, who went ballistic. She informed me that she, I, my Father (my parents were already divorced) and my Fiancee would be having a talk about this little situation.

It turned out to not be much of a talk. Ron and I were informed by my parents that I was to have an abortion and that he would pay for it. That this was not a matter of choice, and if we decided to not go along with the plan that they would have Ron arrested for statutory rape.

So on Dec. 12, 1974 at 11 week pregnant I was forced to under go the abortion of my first child. I cried for the next 2 weeks and still cry every year on the anniversary of the date. No Ron and I are no longer together. Our marriage did not make it much past 2 years, so maybe in a way my not having that baby was a good thing. But since it was not my choice, it still hurts more then if I had come to the unhappy conclusion to terminate the pregnancy myself.