Former pro-choice woman speaks out: My abortion was “physically traumatizing and emotionally painful”

Editor’s Note: The author of this article has requested to be identified as Abby. Here is her personal story.

I am a 26-year-old, working as a weather forecaster in Washington, D.C. I have experienced a traumatizing medical abortion and am a recent convert to the pro-life movement.

At the start of my college career, I got involved in women’s right groups with my friends and strongly supported abortion for all women at their discretion. I saw nothing wrong with someone wanting to pursue all the opportunities that she could. My view has changed dramatically after my own personal experience:

Women commonly suffer after an abortion. And they need not suffer in silence…

A year ago I went to an OBGYN and said I needed a termination of pregnancy. I was “only” six weeks pregnant, but at 25 I had no job, and my parents couldn’t really afford to look after me, so I decided that termination would be the most appropriate course of action.

My boyfriend had no opinion either way, and I didn’t tell anyone else. The doctor was quite cheerful, examined me, and was all too helpful to do blood tests and explain the abortion-inducing pill procedure without even mentioning counseling, talking to a friend, or asking about my mental health. This pill is claimed to be the “safest” and “most convenient” method for early termination. I thought, “Great, it’s all over in three days!” and went on my merry way.

First pill down, no side effects. Forty-eight hours later, time for second pill. One hour after that, I was screaming and crying, writhing in agony on the floor. I couldn’t move; I was on the verge of passing out; I couldn’t even see – blinded by the pain.

My boyfriend picked me up and rushed me to the emergency room, where I waited, still sobbing and thrashing with pain. When the triage doctor finally saw me, my blood pressure was dangerously low, and my heart rate was all over the chart.

When I told him about the abortion, he callously said that I would be “fine” and pricked me with a needle to jolt my blood pressure higher – but still dramatically low. I was sick for two more days, drugged up on the heavy-duty painkillers that the ER doctor had prescribed for me.

When I returned to the OBGYN a week later and told him about my ordeal and severe reaction, he just looked at me questioningly and said, “You seem all right; you didn’t bleed out.” No sympathy, no concern.

These “convenient,” “safe,” and “easy” medical abortions are downright dangerous. After researching (which I admittedly should have done beforehand), I have found that there is nothing “safe” about them – hemorrhage, massive drop in blood pressure, and shock are just some of the plethora of side effects.

My agonizing experience, not to mention the intense guilt I still feel (for I’m sure the baby was in agony as well), has made me realize that abortions do nothing more than hurt the mother and the baby.

I no longer believe that abortion is “pro-woman.” It only serves to burden our minds and hurt our bodies. If the doctor had recommended counseling, or if I had spoken to my parents, I am almost sure that I would have kept my baby. Perhaps not – but if I’d known about what I was going to put myself through, I definitely would have thought twice.