TRIGGER WARNING: This story discusses young patients who have experienced rape and/or sexual assault

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I performed an abortion at 22 weeks gestational age on a scared, 12-year-old girl. She entered the clinic sucking her thumb and clutching the hand of her mother, who had brought her to the clinic.

The girl claimed that her boyfriend was in the eighth grade. This girl did not have knowledge of or access to contraception, nor had she been taught about sex in her school or at home.

I then performed an abortion at 23 weeks gestational age on a 13-year old girl who came into the clinic with her teddy bear and her 30-year-old mother. Her seven brothers and sisters (all younger than she) were at school. She had been sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man. I will never forget the shame and fear in her face.

And after that, I performed an abortion at 23 weeks gestational age on another 13-year-old victim of molestation by her mother’s “boyfriend.” She was brought in by her cousin. By this third patient (in one day), I was brought to tears as I listened to her story.

The reason that I’m not seeing these young girls until their second trimesters is because there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of support. Twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls often do not know how to recognize the signs of pregnancy—usually they think they have food poisoning or bad gas. In cases of rape and/or incest, my young patients are clearly scared and are very afraid of telling anyone about their situation. This is why it’s so important to have providers who are skilled in caring for adolescents and to have improved public knowledge about contraception—especially emergency contraception—that is available to teens. This also means sexuality education that goes beyond abstinence-only.

One day I may not legally be able to provide abortions to young women like this—young women who did not have a fair chance of trying to prevent this horrible situation from occurring in the first place. But on a daily basis, my patients reconfirm my deep heartfelt desire to continue to do what I do.