Roberta's Story

It was the fall of 1990, my senior year in high school. I wasn't part of the "popular" crowd but I was very active in the band program. I had already been accepted to 3 universities on my musical talent alone (my grades weren't that good). I was dating a guy who was a junior and we had a very rocky relationship. We grew up in two totally different worlds. His mom was a "slave" to the family and my mother had taught me to be a leader.

One night I was over at his house and his parents were asleep. We started making love on the couch and when it was all over with, I felt somewhat different. I didn't think much about it until my period was late (my mother kept track of it). So she took me to a women's clinic where I had a pregnancy test done and it came out positive. I was in total shock. My world started to spin in front of my eyes and it really scared me.

I saw how his mother lived and I knew if I kept this pregnancy, I would end just like her. I knew that "if" I finished school, I would be about to give birth the same time I would "walk across the stage." I didn't want that and you can kill the dreams of going to college. Everything I ever wanted would be gone because of one night of stupidity, and then I started to think of the positive side to abortion. Why should I ruin a child's life because of my incompetency? How could I, at 17 years old, care for a baby? How could my boyfriend (who was 16) provide for me and a baby? Impossible...and I knew it.

It was a very hard choice for me but I made it and I am proud of myself for the decision that I made. I'm 25 now....I tried college..but at least going to college was a "choice" and not "impossible" I still have the love of my family and friends (especially my family). It was December 29th 1990, when I terminated my pregnancy and I don't regret it a bit.

Roberta
December 1998