Recently, I had a patient who had moved to the area with her husband and four kids to escape difficult living conditions. They were genuinely trying to provide for their already large family (all four children were under the age of six, and the youngest was under one) and felt like they couldn’t provide for one more child. The mom hoped to go back to school, and the dad had an entry-level job.

He held her hand during the entire abortion procedure, and they decided to get an IUD immediately post procedure so that they wouldn’t have to be in this situation again. It was a tough decision for them, but one that was the best for their family.