Amy's Story

I am 37 years old and the mother of 2 beautiful, healthy children. I have a great career and a wonderful husband, and we've been married for 17 years. My life as I know it would not have been possible if I had not had the choice to have an abortion at age 19.

I was in college, very poor, and had just met my husband-to-be about 6 months previously. A condom failed, and I became pregnant.

I had been raised Catholic, and so this was not an easy choice for me. I went back to Mass, hoping to find "the answer"--I didn't. I went to the embryology textbooks--again no definite answers. I finally realized that I had to trust myself, and I did. I realized that, deep down, I did not believe that a 6 week embryo, with no brain to support consciousness, was truly a person.

I had the abortion on a Saturday afternoon in September. My boyfriend (now my husband) was there to support me (he said he would support me either way). I felt some sense of loss, but overwhelmingly I felt relief!

I have not regretted my decision, and in fact made the same decision at age 22, when faced with another contraceptive failure (taking the pill with some other medications can cause it to fail). My pregnancy at age 30, with my son, was not planned, but I was in a position where I could reasonably support and care for a child, and I felt emotionally ready.

My last pregnancy was planned, and I have a beautiful, smart 2-year-old daughter. I fear that when she is 19, anti-choice zealots will have succeeded in outlawing abortion and she will not have the same choices I had. If she has an unplanned pregnancy, I will support her in either choice--because I know from experience that if she makes her own choice, she will be less likely to regret it.

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