I am both a physician (a psychiatrist) and a patient, and the truth is, I’ve never had an abortion or been pregnant, I’ve never had a hard time getting birth control or other reproductive health care, and I’ve really never had to struggle in this area of my life.

Some people in my life perhaps assume I’ve had an abortion because of how passionate I am about abortion access. Let them wonder!

Honestly, for me, it doesn’t matter what my OWN personal experience has been in this area—what pains me is that women with fewer resources and means, in other states, are suffering and are not getting the abortions they want and deserve. That’s what bothers me. My strong feelings on this issue do not actually stem from personal experience; they come from empathy for what other women are going through.