“I’ve found that being willing to speak about it has helped others feel less alone, and on several occasions, people have come to me for advice when they were scared or unsure of what to do.”
This person shares their abortion experience, after knowing it wasn’t the right time for them to continue a pregnancy. They share that they wanted to work towards stability in other areas of their life, and how having an abortion has inspired them to help others going through the same thing.
I was 19 when I became pregnant, shortly after moving four hours away from home to start university. I had recently cut off contact with my abusive parents and was adjusting to living independently for the first time. Around a month after moving, I found out I was pregnant. Because it was caught very early, I had to return for scans to confirm the pregnancy.*
Before my appointment, I had seen stories of people being able to have their abortion and treatment in a single visit, so being told it was too early for that was a shock to me. Having to come back again for scans and further steps was something I hadn’t expected at all, and in that waiting period I felt quite alone and uncertain.
“It was a difficult but clear decision.”
My partner and I made the decision quite quickly that it wasn’t the right time for us. I was still in the process of stabilising my living situation, education, and finances, and had just left a very unstable home environment. It was a difficult but clear decision based on circumstances rather than uncertainty.
“Looking at my life now has only reinforced that it wasn’t the right time.”
It has now been almost two years, and I do not regret my decision. I thought that with having EUPD/BPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder/ Borderline Personality Disorder) that I may regret it, but it was the most thought-out decision. Looking at my life now has only reinforced that it wasn’t the right time, as I am still working towards financial and personal stability. After the procedure, I was given copies of my scans upon request, and I later had jewellery made from the cap of the pregnancy test as a way of acknowledging that experience in my own way.
“Being willing to speak about [my abortion] has helped others feel less alone.”
Since then, I have chosen to be open about my abortion. I’ve found that being willing to speak about it has helped others feel less alone, and on several occasions, people have come to me for advice when they were scared or unsure of what to do. This has strengthened my interest in abortion care and support services, and I have been actively seeking volunteering opportunities within this area so I can support others going through similar experiences in a non-judgemental and informed way.
**The earliest abortion treatment available based on gestation (how many weeks pregnant you are) is a medical abortion. You can have a medical abortion as early as you’ve had a positive pregnancy test. The upper limit gestation limit for having a medical abortion varies between providers but is generally up to 9 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy for at-home medical abortion.
A surgical abortion is available from 6 weeks of pregnancy, up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Between 6 weeks of pregnancy and 9 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, you may be offered the choice between a surgical abortion and medical abortion.
Find out more in our blog ‘How early can you get an abortion’.
Read more abortion stories
Sharing stories is at the heart of ending the stigma that too many people still feel when it comes to abortion.
