Melissa's Story
pregnant female athlete
yes, abortions happen to us too!!

Since being sexually active i thought i would never get pregnant because it just didn't happen to girls like me. i was a popular young female student-athlete at an NCAA college. i had everything going for me, or so i thought. i had good grades, great friends, parents who supported me, and a lot of guys pursuing me.

when i met the guy who got me pregnant we hit it off right away. we were inseparable for the month we were together. i was so comfortable with him that i let my guard down and had unprotected sex with him. at fist i thought it was nothing, but in a few weeks i was getting really worried because my period was late. my cousin and i finally went to the store and got a home pregnancy test the week of finals. to my dismay i found out i was pregnant.

i could not tell anyone. i couldn't tell my mom and dad in fear of disappointing them, i didn't want to tell my close friends because they looked up to me so, and i definitely couldn't let anyone at my school find out. the reason for that was because i go to a very strict christian college who doesn't even allow dancing on campus, so one can imagine people hearing i was pregnant and having an abortion. i would definitely get expelled. when i told the guy he was very cold and distant. neither of us had planned this and are relatively young. i didn't care and took matters into my own hands.

i called several clinics and started doing tons of research on the abortion procedure. finally when i chose ___ clinic i was so happy with the friendly nonjudgmental workers they had there. i went into my appointment feeling very optimistic and determined that i was going to make it through this very hard decision. after the procedure the doctor asked if i was all right and i felt fine. i just had a little discomfort which was mostly because of the local anesthesia, but the actual procedure took about one minute. i was in the clinic and out within three hours. i am just so grateful that __ clinic has a very friendly and supportive staff because they made the environment very relaxed and at ease.

i think the most important thing is abortion is a big decision in a woman's life and having the choice to have an abortion is very empowering. i am not saying that this was the greatest experience in my life, but having the freedom and no pressure to make this decision makes me feel really happy. i also believe that you have to be a strong person and have a great support network and that's what good friends and ___ clinic provide.

Melissa
1998

more stories -- share your story

Birth Control Comparison - alll methods Abortion Info from Feminist Women's Health CenterShare your story
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In 1997, a California high school sophomore won a science fair award for a project measuring condom reliability. She was on her way to the regional science fair competition when the school superintendent disqualified her project explaining, "because it is on condom reliability, it encourages safe sex. Our philosophy is abstinence, not safe sex." THAT'S WHY US teens have the highest rates of pregnancy, childbirth, abortion and HIV of any developed nation.