I had a 21-year-old patient with two children, the youngest was three months, and she was on birth control pills. She came in already knowing she was pregnant because she’d done 5 home pregnancy tests. She was about to go back to community college; she wanted to be a nurse. She was really at a point where she could take control of her life.

She was really at a point where she could take control of her life.

Thankfully, she was able to have a safe, first-trimester abortion and still attend community college. She is pursuing her dream, having had a rocky start. What I see is a lot of women who, against all odds, with a lot of courage, and in a very fragile situation, are able to overcome the situation. In other states they wouldn’t be able to. My patient would have had to have that baby and not go back to school because she likely wouldn’t have been able to find child care for her other two children. Massachusetts I can say, “Phew,” but in a neighboring state, you would say, “Another statistic, another young mother with children.”