Wrong time. Wrong partner. Wrong life path.

I am so grateful for the support of Planned Parenthood and that abortion was an option for me. The nurse took me through the steps, sent me home when she saw I was confused and unsure, and then hugged me when I walked back through the door, both of us knowing it was the right decision. I was taunted on the way in and out by protesters and still deal with that feeling of ridicule 10 years later.

I do think about what my life could have been like, but I have never, not once, regretted my decision. More comprehensive reproductive health and (just as important) healthy relationship education in my teens could have helped prevent an unwanted pregnancy. I understood the consequences of unprotected sex, but I didn’t understand what it meant to have a loving partner who held my best interests as high as his own desires. I would like imparting that knowledge to kids, teens, and adults to be part of my future endeavors, too.