Sal's Story

I had an abortion at the Feminist Women's Health Center in LA in 1975, on the last day before the end of my first trimester. I was worried that I wouldn't make it back from Mexico in time to squeak in under the 12 week wire, and that my mother might find out. Otherwise it was a relatively calm occasion. It was as a practical matter, there was no way I could be a parent at the time (still couldn't 21 yrs later). I sometimes have thought over the years, how old would that kid be now if I'd had it? Not in a sad or longing way, just the opposite. Like today just writing this I'm thinking - thank goodness (and the good women at the FWHC) that I don't have a 21 year old today! I never wanted to have children and I've never regretted it.

Birth control is a means to an end - the goal being reproductive freedom, control of our destinies. Abortion is a means to that end too. It is not a bad thing needing to be made rare. All this publicity is subtly sending the message that abortion is a bad thing. Women NOT having control of our reproduction is the bad thing that should be made rare. There is nothing wrong with abortion.

Pass it on.

I now work at a feminist women's health center and remain a staunch advocate of abortion rights and reproductive freedom. I am active in my synagogue and in my Jewish lesbian community. For comic relief, I have been doing improvisational comedy as part of WYMPROV! now in our sixth year of bring laughter to the Pacific Northwest. I live with my partner, two cats and a dog and try to spend more time in my garden than at my desk.

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