By: Anonymous
In February 2020, weeks before the beginning of lockdowns and months before I’d graduate nursing school, I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant. I told myself that those two pink lines were false, there was no way I was pregnant. But then the past few weeks of symptoms began to make sense. The fatigue I blamed on 12-hour hospital shifts, the nausea I blamed on stress from exams, and the headaches I blamed on over studying. My partner and I always planned on accessing abortion care if I needed it, but even when you discuss the possibility you never think it will be you. No one dreams of choosing abortion, yet it became my reality very quickly. After confirming bloodwork and an ultrasound my heart sank as I saw that little pea on the screen. I burst into tears as the tech wished me congratulations, I then responded that I wouldn’t be continuing the pregnancy and the dynamic changed in the room. I felt pity as the tech looked away. Even though I knew I’d have an abortion I took a few days to truly think through my decision, and I feel so privileged to live in a country that allowed me time to think. I thought about the pregnancy, the due date and what my life would look like. Would I still graduate nursing school? Would I be forced to move back in with my parents? How would this affect my relationship with my partner, my parents, and friends? What kind of life would I give my baby at this point in my life? As much as I loved the idea of this little pea, I didn’t love the life we would have, and I saw it so clearly. This isn’t to say other women wouldn’t do it, hell I probably could have done it, but I didn’t want to, and it took me a long time to realize that that is okay. A few days later I had a surgical abortion at a local clinic, accompanied by my partner. I didn’t have to walk through protestors, I didn’t have to go through a waiting period, I didn’t have to look at the ultrasound (though I did choose to and still have the photos), and I didn’t have to sit through a scripted lecture of lies. I was treated with compassion and respect. I felt seen and I was heard. I wish I could say it wasn’t painful, it hurt like hell, but the nurse was there to hold my hand the whole time, and I felt safe. I think back to my experience and tell myself, I’m so privileged but you know what? This is how abortion care should be everywhere. Women and people needing abortion care should not feel privileged for accessing safe healthcare, it should be the norm. Safe abortion care allowed me to graduate nursing school with honours. Safe abortion care allowed me to work on the frontlines during a global pandemic. Safe abortion care allowed me control over my life and reproductive rights. Abortion isn’t an easy choice, and it didn’t come without trauma and difficult feelings but I know that I deserve to live the life I made my choice for. Because of my choice I will continue to save and change the lives of hundreds of parents as a labour and delivery nurse.
By: Katey Kristabelle
I had an abortion at 15 years old and it saved my life. I was in an abusive and unhealthy relationship with an older boy, who later confessed he got me pregnant on purpose to see if he could. I remember feeling very alone. I was already very isolated from having any real friends because of this relationship, and was thankful my mom booked the appointment right away as soon as I confessed her suspicions were true. It was a gentle and quick experience. I realized I didn’t know anything about sex or my body and felt ashamed for letting that happen to me. If it didn’t happen, I would have been stuck with this abusive criminal boy in my life. For life. When people in my high school found out I was severely bullied on social media and crucified for a decision that ultimately changed the course of my whole life. I wouldn’t change a thing. And just know that nearly everyone who made fun of me…ended up needing an abortion later in life and came to me for support or apologized for reacting to something they just couldn’t grasp at the time. Another boy shouldn’t have had the power to try to force me into something to control me and own me.
By: Anonymous
I have felt that one of my greatest purposes in life would come from becoming a mother since a very young age. But I do not regret my abortion for a second. It has allowed me to finish my education and become a better person to one day provide a good life to the children I will have in the future.
I accessed abortion care in Nova Scotia as a student. I had no family here to lean on and went through the process feeling very isolated. While I consider myself lucky to have accessed it without many difficulties and hold no ill will towards the physicians that assisted me, I am in a small town making it so all of my appointments with the prescribing doctor were over the phone. I felt very lost and alone during the process and feel that the details of the difference between procedural and medical abortion was not explained well to me in advance of my selection.
However, I do consider myself lucky to have been able to access support and providers as easily as I did in comparison to others.
