“I am a woman who has had an abortion and who has had no regrets. I find it deeply disturbing that so many women, especially, are ready to judge or dismiss abortion without knowing the facts or without ever having spoken to someone who has been in my situation.
I was not raped. I ‘opened my legs’ willingly, as many like to describe it. I used birth control which failed. I was in a stable relationship with someone who absolutely did not want kids. He quickly shrugged off all responsibility as there were no formal ties between us. I was also going through various health problems which would have made the pregnancy dangerous (even if not impossible) for both baby and myself. Moreover, I could not support another human being. To be frank, adoption did not even cross my mind - I have friends working in some of these homes. Adopting a Maltese child is close to impossible and so many of these kids in homes end up with problems.
So I decided, after weighing all of my options, to have an abortion. This was less than 10 weeks into the pregnancy and therefore the pregnancy was so small that I was given a dose of medicine at the hospital and then sent home. I had to take the second dose at home, and a few hours later I had some cramps and it basically looked as if I had just gotten my period. Therefore, unlike what many believe, an early termination does not require surgery or involve tearing a ‘baby’ apart.
I must say that I continued with my life, happy to have had the possibility of making that choice. Not burdening the state with a single mother needing benefits and not ruining a child's life. When I decide to have a baby, I want to give him or her the best chance of succeeding in life.
After this experience, for those who are wondering, I switched from the pill to a hormonal IUD in order to further reduce risk.”